[ALBSA-Info] Bulgaria might offer troops to Macedonia

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Bulgaria might offer troops to Macedonia

- Bulgaria said it is willing to consider sending troops to help defend 
neighbouring Macedonia after an ambush on its frontier with Kosovo killed 
three Macedonian soldiers. 

"The actions of Albanian terrorist groups around the village of Tanusevci may 
also be considered as the opening of a new front around Kosovo," the 
government said in a statement. 

Heavy firing broke out on Monday near Tanusevci between Macedonia's security 
forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas who are occupying the village, just 
inside Macedonia. The three soldiers were killed in the village on Sunday. 

The guerrillas are presumed to have ties with Kosovo, where about 90 percent 
of the population is ethnic Albanian. Macedonia, an ex-Yugoslav republic that 
escaped recent Balkan wars, is considered vulnerable to any spillover of 
violence in and around the province. 

Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov said he was ready to consider sending 
troops to help defend Macedonia during a telephone conversation with 
Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski late on Sunday, Stoyanov's press office 
said. 

"The president said he was ready to raise in parliament the question of using 
Bulgarian armed forces if Macedonia requests that from its neighbours or 
international organisations involved in securing stability in the region," a 
press release said. 

Sofia also called on the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR, to step 
in resolutely to prevent tensions mounting at the Macedonian-Kosovo border, 
which has increased concern that unrest could spread across the Balkans. 

Recent attacks by Albanian guerrillas in the volatile Preservo Valley area on 
the other side of Kosovo have also rung alarm bells about Balkan stability. 

The Bulgarian statement said that Prime Minister Ivan Kostov had reiterated 
Bulgaria's willingness to extend any technical help Macedonia might consider 
necessary to cope with the crisis. 

In a telephone conversation with Macedonian Prime Minister Ljubco 
Georgievski, Kostov reassured him of Bulgaria's complete support for Macedoni
a's stability, said the statement. 

Stoyanov, who starts a three-day official visit to Belgium on Monday, was to 
raise the issue during a meeting with NATO officials at the pact's 
headquarters. 

The president's proposal would be also discussed at a meeting of his advisory 
National Security Council which groups party leaders, key government 
ministers and heads of security services next Monday, the statement said.