Bulgaria Wants NATO Missile Shield on Entire Territory
Bulgaria will ask for the NATO missile shield to cover the entire territory of the country and to be built in cooperation with Russia, Foreign Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, announced Wednesday.
Mladenov spoke in the eve of the NATO's Summit in Lisbon which is scheduled to begin Friday, saying this is a decision made and approved by the cabinet.
Joint defense of the Alliance's members, potential inclusion of new countries from the Western Balkans and energy security are expected to be key issues on the agenda.
According to Mladenov, the partnership between NATO and Russia will enter a new stage with talks to build jointly defense systems over the common need to counter possible threats such as nuclear arms and the likelihood of extremist organizations getting hold on them.
Mladenov further explained the missile shield would not be directed at any particular country, but would provide protection from common risks, adding negotiations between the States involved are to continue for the next few years.