Washington is discussing with Sofia a new format for Bulgarian participation in peace-keeping operations in Iraq. Parliament decided that Bulgaria's military personnel would leave Iraq at the end of this year, but Bulgaria will continue its military co-operation by other means. US ambassador John Beyrle said that Bulgaria is a sovereign country that has the right to take independent decisions concerning its armed forces. Beyrle said that Bulgaria had acted as a reliable partner by warning the US in advance of its decision to withdraw its troops. He said that Bulgaria, through its participation in operations in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, had shown that the country contributes to global security.
A team of officials from Washington is coming to Sofia in the autumn to hold talks with Bulgarian officials on deploying military training equipment in Bulgaria. The equipment will be used by Bulgarian and US troops, and possibly by troops from other NATO member countries, mediapool.bg reported.