Bulgaria Chose Friendship with NATO and Not with Yugoslavia

AIM Sofia, 16 October, 1998

Bulgarian politicians are put in a dilemma whether to permit NATO planes to fly over this country in case the conflict in Kosovo intensifies, or to refuse to do it. The possibility of a NATO military strike against Belgrade in the beginning of this week caused commotion in all state institutions. Reactions were contradictory - president Petar Stojanov and the ruling majority of the League of Democratic Forces (SDS) supported the idea of partnership with NATO, while the opposition noted that Yugoslavia was Bulgaria's neighbour and that it would remain to be that even after the possible strike against Milosevic. Good relations with NATO or good relations with the neighbours - this was the dilemma for statesmen.

As tensions in Kosovo heightened, the possibility of NATO air-strikes against Yugoslavia increased, and the question of possible overflight of NATO planes in Bulgaria became topical. Since Turkey announced readiness to participate in joint military operations with its partners from NATO, it became clear that its airplanes would need to somehow reach Yugoslavia. And since it was improbable that Greece would agree to allow them to fly over it, Bulgaria has remained the only possible itinerary for Turkish planes.

According to the Bulgarian constitution, the decision to permit air corridors can be made only by the National Assembly. Every request for flying over Bulgaria shall be considered separately, the 1994 decision of the Constitutional Court says. This makes the procedure slow, but it is the only one that is in accordance with the Constitution.

At the end of last week, Secretary General of the North-Atlantic Treaty Organiztion, Javier Solana, was authorized by NATO Council to address, if necessary, Bulgaria, Albania, Macedonia and Romania with the request for flights of this organization's planes over their territory. The Bulgarian ambassador in NATO received a note about it on Friday evening, and the Bulgarian government - on Saturday morning. At the same time, a session of the advisory council for national security had already been scheduled to take place at president Stojanov's, with participation of leaders of all parliamentary political parties, prime minister Kostov and ministers of defence and internal affairs. "In response to the note of the North Atlantic Council, Bulgaria is ready to give consent to flights in its airspace. Bulgaria will also support humanitarian and logistic operations as part of NATO efforts to impose and guarantee peace", it was decided at the session in the Presidency. A few hours later, at its extraordinary session, the government also decided to permit NATO planes to fly over Bulgaria in accordance with the request of the treaty organization.

However, the decision on use of airspace of Bulgaria caused a sharp polemic in the country. On the one hand, it is not legally binding, because the decision about it is the responsibility of the parliament. On the other hand, it is obvious that Bulgaria is taking sides with NATO in a conflict with one of its neighbours. "Bulgaria will not get involved in the conflict either directly or indirectly", was one of the stands taken by the advisory council for national security. However, approval of the coridor means indirect participation. If Bulgaria permits meddling of foreign forces in internal affairs of another state, it participates in the aggression against this country, is the opinion of those who are opposed to the decision that NATO planes be permitted to fly across the sky over Bulgaria.

Deputy foreign minister, Marin Rajkov, later explained that planes would fly over Bulgaria only in the direction from the west towards the east, that is, when returning from the missions, so that there was no danger that they would attack Serbia. At the same time, his colleague Konstantin Dimitrov admitted that Serbian anti-aircraft defence could shoot down NATO planes over the territory of Bulgaria, regardless of the direction in which the planes were flying, which means that Bulgaria too might have victims.

The evidently hasty actions of the president and the prime minister caused numerous controversies. Both tried to correct the mistake by explaining that their stands had been just an expression of political will. Chairman of the assembly Jordan Sokolov, also from the ruling SDS, tried to find an excuse for them by giving an interpretation of the situation. According to him, damaged and unarmed planes could fly over Bulgaria without the decision of the parliament on the basis of international agreements signed by Bulgaria. This would also enable Serbian damaged planes to fly over or even land in this country, he said. Finally prime minister Kostov admitted that decision reached at the president's and by the government were quite unclarified. He said that Bulgaria would not permit planes loaded with arms to fly over its territory.

In any case, NATO air-strikes against Belgrade have been postponed, and therefrom, the possibility of Bulgaria being drawn into the conflict. Regardless of that, reactions of politicians caused numerous reflections. For leaders of NATO - that Bulgaria was ready to get further involved in the initiative of the treaty which it wishes to join. In his letter to Kostov, Javier Solana thanked him for the stand of Bulgaria and promised help in case of a possible Serbian attack against this country. "I wish to be perfectly clear that our allies will treat very seriously every attack of Yugoslavia against a country - partner of NATO", Solana wrote.

On the other hand, ruling politicians neglected the historical fact that Yugoslavia would remain a neighbour of Bulgaria even after NATO air-strikes. Majority of military experts and politicians were resolute that it was hardly probable that Serbia would attack Bulgarian targets and they expreesed concern that it was not reasonable to aggravate good neighbourly relations. Especially in view of the fact that a Bulgarian minority lives in the eastern part of Serbia, which would also be endangered by the possible military strikes. Many observers had doubts that support offered by Bulgaria to NATO was the right position. In the past Bulgaria supported victors, but it often turned out that it was among losers. That is what happened in the Second World War when this country was the ally of Germany, and later, when due to close links with the Soviet Union, it turned out to be a loser again. This time again it seemed to certain politicians that the decision on allowing NATO airplanes to fly over Bulgaria would be an unquestionable success, but it is a delusion, the observers are resolute. If for no other reason, for the fact that Yugoslavia is Bulgaria's immediate neighbour. "After this step, FR Yugoslavia will have every reason to consider our country its enemy", declared Ivan Genov, expert for international relations and member of the Socialist Party.

AIM Sofija

GEORGI FILIPOV