Russia asks Bulgaria about US shield elements
19/02/2010
MOSCOW, Russia -- The government is asking Bulgaria to provide more details about plans to deploy elements of the US missile defence shield on its territory. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said last week that Sofia and Washington will launch preliminary talks on the issue. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov met on Thursday (February 18th) with Bulgarian Ambassador to Moscow Plamen Grozdanov, telling him that Moscow is sending an official query about the purpose and substance of the talks. The issue arose after Bulgaria's neighbour, Romania, decided earlier this month to host elements of the US system, which should become operational by 2015. (Dnevnik, Trud, Focus news agency, ITAR-TASS, BBC - 18/02/10)