Bulgaria Agreed to Provisional Heavy Weapons Deployment, FM Says

Sofia has given the green light to the stationing of heavy arms in Bulgaria on a temporary basis, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has said.

His comments on Wednesday came after mixed signals sent from US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolay Nenchev.

Carter said on Tuesday Bulgaria had agreed to have tanks and artillery units on its territory, while Nenchev later denied having received any specific proposal or request.

Focus News Agency now quotes Mitov as telling reporters that a total of 70 joint Bulgaria-US drills have been planned for this year.

Fending off claims about "anti-Russia" military action in preparation, Mitov explained that joint military exercises were also carried out in the nine years prior to his government's term in office after a socialist-led cabinet signed in 2006 an agreement with the alliance to give clearance for the step.