VZCZCXRO5194
OO RUEHIK RUEHPOD RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0149 0741315
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 141315Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4839
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 0038
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 0605
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE IMMEDIATE 0173
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0971
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1055
UNCLAS SOFIA 000149
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AF PREL BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA: NEW SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN
SECRETARY GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN WILL PROMOTE BETTER
SIPDIS
COOPERATION
REF: STATE 25020
1. (U) We delivered REFTEL points to MFA's Kamen Velichkov,
Head of the UN and Global Issues Department on March 12.
Velichkov welcomed the appointment of Norwegian Political
Director Kai Eide as UNSG Special Representative for
Afghanistan. Velichkov noted that Eide enjoyed a good
reputation in Bulgaria and the Balkans when he was a UN
Special Envoy to Kosovo and as a UN Special Representative to
Bosnia-Herzegovina. Velichkov took the opportunity to
express Bulgaria's aspiration to host a UN Department of
Political Affairs (DPA) field office for peace building. He
cited Bulgaria's geopolitical location in the Balkans and
proximity to the Caucuses, as well as its good relations with
countries in these regions as factors in Bulgaria's favor.
Beyrle