Russia has demanded once again that Bulgaria explains in details its planned involvement in a new US missile defence system in Europe which came as an unwelcome surprise to Moscow.

"
We are waiting for detailed explanations,"
Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu commented in Belgrade, echoing the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov from over the weekend.

Shoigu denied reports that Russia wants to deploy a military base in Nic, saying this is a regional center for responding to emergency situations.

"
This is a complete nonsense, which can't even be called a speculation,” the minister commented, adding that the center will be used only by the countries in the region at times of emergencies and disasters and will be operated by experts, who want to help not to wage wars.

Shoigu's comments come days after Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said he supports plans for taking part in a new US missile defence system in Europe.

James Warlick, the U.S. ambassador to Bulgaria, said earlier in the week that the United States was holding informal talks with the Balkan country on hosting elements of a U.S. missile shield on its soil.

Warlick played down Russian fears about the system by reiterating President Barack Obama's statement that America wanted "
a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Russia."


"
The United States will not ask the Bulgarian government or people to choose between Moscow and Washington,"
he added.

Neighboring Romania announced last week that it would host interceptor missiles as part of a U.S. missile defense system on its soil.

A US State Department official said earlier the facilities in Romania are to become operational by 2015 and are designed as protection against "
current and emerging ballistic missile threats from Iran."


The planned deployment in Bulgaria and Romania comes after US President Barack Obama scrapped plans for a radar and interceptor missiles in the Czech Republic and Poland, which Russia fiercely opposed as a national security threat and a blow on its nuclear deterrent.


GERMAN PAPER: BULGARIA ROLE IN US MISSILE DEFENSE TO RENEW EUROPE DEBATES

The talk about Bulgaria’s potential participation in the US missile defense is going to renew the debates in Europe about the American project from the time it was proposed by George W. Bush.

This position is expressed in a Wednesday’s article of the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which reminds that Romania has already made it clear it would agree to participating the US missile defense.

The article points out that even though there had been no formal US request for Bulgaria to join the American missile shield in Europe, Russian representatives have raised concerns that the location of elements of the missile defense in Bulgaria and Romania could threaten Russia’s security.

Sueddeutsche Zeitung reminds that the successor of George W. Bush, US President Barack Obama has renounced the plans to center the missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic saying since Iran – from which the shield is said to be supposed to protect America’s European allies – could threaten Europe with small and medium range missiles.

The paper cites the Bulgarian Socialist MEP and former Foreign Minister Ivaylo Kalfin as saying that Bulgaria’s participation in the US missile shield could threaten its economic relations with Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is quoted as saying during his Nicaragua visit that Russia expected a clarification on part of Bulgaria with regard to its role in the US missile shield.

Sofia Morning News

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