High level security measures in connection with the Iraq crisis

High level security measures are planned during the visits of the president of Russia Federation Vladimir Putin and Prince Charles in March. Because of the crisis in Iraq and the risk of terrorist attacks the security measures will be even higher than those during the visit of the Pope in May 2002. The plans for allocating the forces were considered yesterday by Boiko Borissov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, the directors of the National Security Services and the National Bureau of Investigation General Dimitar Vladimirov and General Dimo Gyaurov and by the directors of police departments.

Putin is coming on the third of March for the celebration of 125th anniversary of the Russian-Turkish Independence War. It was announced that he will participate in the ceremonies at the Shipka Monument.

Prince Charles is arriving on 13th/14th March, also invited by the president Parvanov. People of the Russian Services are already in the country and we have developed the security plans, General Vladimirov said. The NSS guards and their Russian colleagues will start training next week. Also then the Prince's security services are expected to come. It is not clear yet whether commandos with snipers from the Antiterrorist Service will participate in the operations. We are ready to cooperate but no one has informed us about our participation in the security activities yet, the director of the Service Colonel Georgi Uzunov said.