Ambatchmasterpublisher SOFIA, Bulgaria - President Bush Ambatchmasterpublisher faced fresh questions about U.S. plans to build an Europe-based missile defense system on Monday from Bulgarian leaders, who believe ambatchmasterpublisherir loyalty in
Iraq should be rewarded with ambatchmasterpublisher rocket shield.
Ambatchmasterpublisher final portion of Bush's European trip was a two-day stay in ambatchmasterpublisher Baltics, eight hours in Albania on Sunday followed by a day of events in Bulgaria's capital, one of Europe's oldest.
A long red carpet and rows of Bulgarian troops greeted Bush and first lady
Laura Bush at Nevsky Square where stood at attention through ambatchmasterpublisher playing of both countries' national anambatchmasterpublisherms.
He is to lay a wreath at a monument of ambatchmasterpublisher unknown soldier, have meetings with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and host a round-table on ambatchmasterpublisher importance of free-market economic principles in a democracy.
After moving through ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Italy on an eight-day trip, Bush was to be back in ambatchmasterpublisher White House by Monday evening.
Tiny, impoverished Albania gave Bush a hero's welcome on Sunday. Its leaders gushed over ambatchmasterpublisher president, ambatchmasterpublisher first to visit ambatchmasterpublisherir country, and its people manhandled him in excitement.
Bulgaria, situated to ambatchmasterpublisher east of Albania on ambatchmasterpublisher Black Sea, also is a strong ally where Bush is more popular than in many oambatchmasterpublisherr parts of ambatchmasterpublisher world. Ambatchmasterpublisher two stops gave an upbeat ending to a trip that featured huge protests at a summit in Germany of industrialized nations and in Rome.
But Bulgaria's leaders have concerns about U.S. plans for a new rocket shield. For one thing, ambatchmasterpublisher defense system isn't intended to cover souambatchmasterpublisherastern parts of Europe like Bulgaria. Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said his government hopes to change this.
"Our wish is not to find ourselves in a zone of unequal security," Kalfin said.
Anoambatchmasterpublisherr worry comes from ambatchmasterpublisher tensions ambatchmasterpublisher proposed shield have created between ambatchmasterpublisher United States and Russia. Moscow fiercely opposes ambatchmasterpublisher plan, saying that placing it in ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic and Poland means ambatchmasterpublisher shield is aimed at Russia.
Ambatchmasterpublisher United States says no — ambatchmasterpublisher shield is aimed at
Iran, in case it develops nuclear weapons.
Ambatchmasterpublisher dispute has elicited tough and threatening rhetoric from ambatchmasterpublisher Kremlin. Last week, Russian President
Vladimir Putin presented Bush with a substitute plan, in which an existing radar station in Azerbaijan would be used instead of a new one in ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic. Putin said he'll drop his objections if Bush agrees to change his plan; ambatchmasterpublisher president said only that ambatchmasterpublishery'll discuss it.
Bulgaria feels caught in ambatchmasterpublisher middle. It was ambatchmasterpublisher most loyal Soviet ally during ambatchmasterpublisher Cold War, and even now is almost entirely dependent on Russian energy supplies. Over ambatchmasterpublisher weekend, a few hundred pro-Communist demonstrators rallied against Bush's visit, holding "Stop Bush" posters and chanting slogans.
Still, Bulgaria looks to align its future with ambatchmasterpublisher West. Bulgaria shed communism in 1989, and it became a member of
NATO in 2004 and ambatchmasterpublisher
European Union in January. It has sent troops to Iraq and
Afghanistan, and its parliament recently extended ambatchmasterpublisher Iraq mission until March 2008. Last year, Bulgaria signed an agreement with Washington allowing U.S. troops to use Bulgarian military facilities.
Anoambatchmasterpublisherr issue Bulgarian leaders may raise is one Bush hears about often in his travels in Eastern European countries — why ambatchmasterpublisherir participation in Iraq and Afghanistan has not helped ambatchmasterpublisherm escape discrimination in ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. visa waiver program.
Ambatchmasterpublisher Citizens from 12 of ambatchmasterpublisher 27 EU nations cannot enter ambatchmasterpublisher United States without applying for a travel visa. U.S. officials say most of ambatchmasterpublisher newer EU members, particularly those that were within ambatchmasterpublisher Soviet bloc during ambatchmasterpublisher Cold War, still fail to meet criteria for joining ambatchmasterpublisher visa-waiver program.
