US General John Silvester, commander of the NATO-led stabilization force (SFOR) commended the work of the Bulgarian SFOR contingent at a meeting with Bulgarian Army General Staff Chief Colonel General Miho Mihov at the Butmir base near Sarajevo. Bulgaria should decide for itself if it wants to send more troops to the SFOR mission. Such a decision will be welcomed, Silvester said. General Mihov arrived in Sarajevo February 25 to inspect the Bulgarian troops and greet them with Bulgaria's national holiday, March 3. Mihov also met with SFOR chief of staff general Schultz. "I am not concerned about our soldiers, sargeants and officers. Good things were said about their preparation," Mihov said, adding that he had discussed with General Silvester the continuation of Bulgaria’s participation in the peacekeeping mission. The restructuring of the two countries' armed forces was on top of the agenda at Mihov's meeting with Bosnian Defence Minister Nijo Anic. Mihov noted that a national military strategy is about to be adopted and that the doctrines for the different army branches have already been drafted. The Bulgarian mechanized platoon was placed under the Dutch SFOR command in November 2001. A company of 149 Bulgarian troops was stationed in the Butmir base in early 2002 to maintain the security of the military installation. The company is made up of volunteers, including three women, and will serve in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 12 months.

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