Bulgaria's intelligence head, Gen. Kircho Kirov, said Saturday his service had generally predicted the developments that led to the Russia-Ukraine gas crisis in January 2009.

Gen. Kirov, who is the Director of Bulgaria's National Intelligence Service (NIS), said in an interview for Darik Radio, he personally had reported to Bulgaria's Parliamentary Committee on Defense about the forecasts of NIS on the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute a couple of months before the crisis unraveled in the last days of 2008, and the beginning of 2009.

NIS had also submitted specific data and materials that it had well in advance.

"No one could predict what exactly would happen because these were the decisions of a few state leaders. But as a whole - as a trend and possibilities, we did predict what ensued later", Gen. Kirov said.

The head of the Bulgarian intelligence made it clear he thought the diversification of Bulgaria's energy supplies increased rather than put a stress on the country's national security.

Gen. Kirov also explained that in his view the main risks for Bulgaria's national security at the present moment were related to the global economic crisis because that was the factor, which would determine Bulgaria's development in all major aspects in the next one-two years.

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