Bulgaria Receives US Recognition for Contribution to Iraq Mission

The last Bulgarian troops serving in Iraq came home for Christmas 2008. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Ambassador to the USA Elena Poptodorova has received a special call from the US State Department on the occasion of President Obama's declaration of the end of the combat mission in Iraq, the Bulgarian Embassy in DC told Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency).

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Pamela Quanrud has confirmed the American administration's high assessment of the Bulgarian soldiers' valor and courage in combat during their participation in the international peace-keeping mission in Iraq.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary has also shared her understanding and appreciation of the difficult decisions Bulgaria had to make throughout the Iraqi mission.

Bulgaria participated with a peace-keeping force of up to 500 troops in the US-led coalition in Iraq from 2003 until the end of 2008. It lost 13 soldiers in Iraq during that period.

The formal US recognition for Bulgaria's contribution to Iraq effort before Bulgaria's Ambassador in Washington, DC, has come a day after US President Barack Obama announced the end of the combat mission in Iraq after the toppling of the Saddam Husein regime.

The United States is still keeping 50 000 support troops in Iraq which are expected to withdraw by the end of 2011.

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