Bush in Bulgaria to Talk About Missile Defense

President George W. Bush arrived in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia 7 p.m. local time with First Lady Laura Bush by his side. His last stop on his European trip was televised on national Bulgarian television. He had previously stopped in the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, and Albania.

Tomorrow the President of the United States will meet with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov with expected talks about the US Missile Defense system in Bulgaria, Kosovan independence, and the future of the five Bulgarian nurses on death row in Libya for supposedly spreading AIDS to 400 children in Libyan hospitals, according to the Herald Sun.

Bush will also talk about his intentions to send American troops to bases in Bulgaria, a strategic nation near the Middle East. The visa issue will be discussed as well with the hope on Bulgaria's front that restrictions will be lifted and Bulgarian citizens will be able to travel into the United States without having to obtain a visa, which usually is accompanied by long wait times and a winding process, according to the Focus News Agency.

Last April, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed a deal for the joint exploitation of military bases in Sofia. The goal of this ordeal is to eventually have 60,000-70,000 US troops moved farther away from central European nations and further towards the Middle East, according to the Herald Sun.

American soldiers are expected to arrive in Bulgaria beginning this September 2007.

When President Bush arrived, security was high-strung and main arteries in Sofia were completely closed down in apprehension to his arrival. Most facilities will be closed all day Sunday and Monday as well. 3,500 Bulgarian police have been deployed in Sofia to protect the president, mollify the crowds of protesters, and keep overall order, according to the Herald Sun. Thousands of protesters are expected to roam the streets of Sofia. The tone in Bulgaria towards President Bush is much different than the homely welcome he received when he visited Albania. Demonstrations have been reported already begun.

Bulgaria as well as Romania entered the European Union on January 1^st, 2007. This is President Bush's first ever visit to the Balkan nation of roughly 7 million. Former President Bill Clinton was the first American president to ever visit Bulgaria back in November 1999 to talk about the then-urgent need for the reform of arms trade, according to Human Rights News.

Bulgaria is a member of NATO since April 2004 and the United States of America in terms of foreign investments in Bulgaria, ranks sixth overall.

Herald Sun, Bush arrives in Bulgaria,
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21884617-5005961,00.html

Focus News Agency, Bush arrives in Bulgaria later Sunday,
http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n114492

Human Rights News, Clinton Visits Bulgaria, http://hrw.org/english/docs/1999/11/15/bulgar1940.htm