Bulgaria Approves US Use Of Bezmer Air Base For Middle East Support
Bulgaria's Parliament has authorized the US military to use the Bezmer Air Base for logistical support operations in the Middle East. While the government emphasized that the base will only be used for refueling, the decision has sparked domestic debate regarding potential involvement in regional conflicts.
Why it matters
International military cooperation agreements often face domestic scrutiny regarding national sovereignty and the risk of entanglement in foreign wars.
Bulgaria's Parliament on Wednesday backed a government proposal to allow the US military to use an air base in the Balkan country to support US operations in the Middle East, while some expressed concern about becoming involved in the Iran war.The Trump administration has faced pushback from certain other countries in the European Union over the use of air bases in support of its war with Iran.Legislators in Bulgaria voted 136-13, with two abstentions, to allow up to eight US KC-135 refueling aircraft along with 250 personnel and supporting equipment at Bezmer Air Base from Friday to Oct. 1. No further approvals are needed.Under a 2006 US-Bulgaria defense agreement, the Bezmer facility, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of the capital, Sofia, is a joint-use facility.
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