site.bta Defence Minister Evasive on Possible Troop Pullout from Afghanistan

Defence Minister Evasive on Possible Troop Pullout from Afghanistan

Sofia, October 4 (BTA) - Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev on Tuesday avoided taking a firm stance on recent statements by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov about a possible withdrawal of the Bulgarian military contingent from Afghanistan if no agreement is signed to send back Afghan migrants.

Several media have quoted Borissov as saying over the last couple of weeks that Bulgaria will recall its troops from Afghanistan unless it starts readmitting its citizens who have been detained as illegal migrants in Europe.

"I understand the Prime Minister. There has really been a serious problem with Afghani refugees over the last couple of months. We are looking for a solution to the problem," Nenchev told journalists after opening an international conference entitled "Adapting NATO to the New Security Challenges" in Sofia.

"What does pulling out our contingent mean and what will happen if all member states withdraw their troops? That means disintegration of the state with the migrant pressure on Bulgaria likely to increase substantially," Nenchev said, adding that a negotiated solution is being sought.

Nenchev noted that the European leaders commented on the issue a few days ago, and said he was confident that a common solution would be found - the EU as a whole will seek to sign a readmission agreement. "That is possible, but we will resort to all types of pressure because we are really fulfilling our commitments there," Nenchev said.

Asked if Bulgaria should keep its 110-strong contingent in Afghanistan, Nenchev reiterated that all options should be used to put pressure on the Afghan government to sign the said agreement. In his view, with the EU on board, the agreement will soon become a fact.

Around 12.5 million leva have been budgeted this year for the maintenance of the Bulgarian troops in Afghanistan, but Nenchev said the actual spending will not exceed 9 million leva.

"Alongside our allies and partners, we have to deal with unprecedented challenges and a changed security environment," Nenchev said in his address to the forum.

The Defence Minister pointed out the importance of Article 3 of the North Atlantic Treaty which calls for continuous and effective self-help and mutual aid among member states to maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack. "Without Article 3 it would be impossible to enforce Article 5 and to have a collective self-defence without jointly building and maintaining the means with which to mount this defence when need be," Nenchev said.

The Minister also addressed the issue of phasing out Soviet-era equipment. As part of measures to deploy infrastructure in member states forming the eastern flank of the Alliance, four packages of capabilities are in progress that will ensure the freedom of movement of very high readiness forces. "Within the framework of these four packages, Bulgaria will absorb around 83 million euro of investment in 2017-2021," Nenchev said.

Maritime security concerns are ever more pressing and are now firmly on the NATO and EU agenda, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said in an address delivered at the forum on his behalf. A Black Sea policy would test the ability of NATO and the EU to tackle key issues like the future of the European and Euro-Atlantic security architecture, the future of the European project, relations with Russia and coping with the challenges of globalisation and hybrid actions as an approach to international relations, Mitov was quoted as saying.