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Bulgarians Want Limits on U.S. Military Bases
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in Bulgaria express unease over a proposed arrangement of cooperation between their country and the United States, according to a poll by Alpha Research. 59.7 per cent of respondents oppose allowing the U.S. military to operate in Bulgaria, if it is able to launch attacks on third countries.
In March 2004, Bulgaria officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In December, the European Union (EU) announced that the accession treaty with Bulgaria and Romania would be finalized in April 2005. The two countries could conceivably join the continental group in 2007.
Last August, Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev became prime minister after a 169-67 vote in the National Assembly. Stanishev expressed his intention to "meet the expectations of Bulgarians, to give Bulgaria the possibility of joining the EU and to improve living standards."
Bulgaria recently offered to allow U.S. forces to use its military bases. The Bush administration is considering the Bezmer air base and the Novo Selo training base, both located in southeastern Bulgaria, as potential facilities.
Last month, Bulgarian defence minister Veselin Bliznakov said he expected a deal to be finalized by next spring. The previous government headed by conservative prime minister Simeon Sakskoburggotski deployed 380 soldiers to support the coalition effort in Iraq. Bulgarian soldiers are scheduled to take over security duties at Afghanistan's Kabul Airport next year.
Polling Data
Percentage of respondents who oppose | 59.7% |
Source: Alpha Research
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 Bulgarian adults, conducted from Nov. 15 to Nov. 24, 2005. No margin of error was provided.