Bulgaria likely to send more troops to Afghanistan

SOFIA, Nov 24 (Reuters) Bulgaria will probably send 120 troops to Afghanistan in 2007, meeting calls from NATO to boost the Alliance's troop strength to counter an upsurge in violence there, the Balkan state's defence minister said today.

Veselin Bliznakov said Bulgaria would be ready to send the troops some time next spring, pending approval by the Socialist-led government and parliament and discussions with Sofia's NATO allies.

''One of the most probable scenarios is that we send around 120 troops to Afghanistan ... Talks are ongoing,'' Bliznakov told journalists in parliament.

Bulgaria is expected to present the proposal to NATO at the the alliance's summit in Riga next week.

On Wednesday, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Jones said Alliance's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan was battling Taliban insurgents at 85 per cent of full strength despite repeated calls for more troops.

Bliznakov could not specify how long the mission would be but said the usual practice was to send soldiers for six months.

He did not specify where in Afghanistan the troops would be deployed or what they would do.

NATO newcomer Bulgaria already has around 170 troops and medical staff serving in the 32,000-strong ISAF, which operates in Kabul and north and west Afghanistan.

It sent 70 troops to take over security arrangements at Kabul airport in August. They are expected to come home in December when the term of their mission expires.

REUTERS DKA HT1738