Bulgarian troops to protect Kabul airport in 2006 France_Presse - 2004/10/29
Bulgarian troops in Afghanistan will be placed in charge of protecting Kabul airport in the summer of 2006, Deputy Prime Minister Plamen Panaiotov said on Friday.
"Bulgaria has taken the decision to expand its participation in operations in Afghanistan by taking charge of measures to protect the airport in Kabul from June to September 2006," he said following a meeting with NATO Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo.
"We have also discussed increasing our number of troops in Afghanistan and redeploying them in peacekeeping missions in the provinces outside Kabul," he added.
Bulgaria currently has 66 soldiers based around Kabul as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Rizzo said he would welcome "more engagement of Bulgaria in Afghanistan," and added that the country was a priority for NATO.