US President Barack Obama will host Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov at the White House on December 3, officials said Monday.
During talks in the Oval Office, the two men are expected to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including the Eastern European country’s participation in NATO operations in Afghanistan, a statement said.
Obama also “looks forward to receiving updates” on Bulgaria’s investigation into a July 18 suicide bus bombing in the city of Burgas that claimed the lives of five Israeli tourists and their driver.
Israel blamed Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah after the attack, which also killed the bomber and wounded 30, but Tehran denied any involvement.
Bulgaria has refused to point a finger at any person or organization before garnering enough evidence from the investigation.
In Afghanistan, Bulgaria has 614 soldiers, army instructors and military doctors in NATO’s US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the latter of which is in the process of a phased recall of troops.
Bulgaria will withdraw 10 military doctors from a Spanish field hospital in Afghanistan’s third city of Herat by the end of this year, while 257 soldiers patrolling Kabul airport will follow suit in early 2013.
A 347-strong troop contingent guarding the airport in the southern city of Kandahar will be the last to return home at the end of 2014.
Obama to host Bulgarian PM at White House
