Bulgaria to cut US military aircraft stay over visa issue, PM Radev says
The government said the move gives Washington time to reconsider after Bulgaria sought visa-free travel for its citizens.
- On Friday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that Bulgaria will limit the stay of U.S. military aircraft in the NATO member country until the end of June.
- This decision follows the United States' failure to approve a visa-free travel system for Bulgarians, creating ongoing diplomatic friction between the two NATO allies.
- "I fully understand the complexity of the regulatory procedures," Radev said, but emphasized that Bulgaria must protect its own priorities regarding military assets at Sofia Airport.
- The government will extend the current agreement until the end of June, giving the United States time to reconsider its visa policy before the May deadline expires.
- Earlier this month, Radev spoke to President Donald Trump and insisted the visa matter be considered urgently, but received no positive response to his appeal.
23 Articles
23 Articles
The Bulgarian Prime Minister wants to withdraw permission from the US to station tankers in his country. Radev thus reacts to a dispute with Washington about visa requirements, in which he claims he is still waiting for a "positive response".
Bulgaria to end U.S. military aircraft rights at end of June
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that the rights of U.S. military aircraft to utilize the Sofia International airport will end on June 30th, following Washington’s "failure to approve a visa-free travel system for Bulgarian citizens," he stated.
Because of a dispute over entry rules, Bulgaria wants to prohibit the stationing of US tankers. Although EU citizens, Bulgarians need visas to travel to the US.
Dispute over US visa requirements for Bulgarians
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