Amid terror threat, Bulgarian defense minister set to meet with counterpart Barak to discuss cooperation between countries.
By YAAKOV KATZBulgarian police_311(photo credit: Reuters)
Amid reports of a terror threat to Israeli tourists in Sofia, Bulgarian Defense Minister Anu Anguelov will arrive in Tel Aviv on Sunday for talks with Defense Minister Ehud Barak.Barak and Anguelov will discuss ways to increase defense cooperation between the countries and to add content to a memorandum of understanding the two ministers signed in January 2010.RELATED:Iran's Al Quds force expanding in Europe, S. AmericaHezbollah threat prompts security for Ashkenazi Since the deterioration in its ties with Turkey, Israel has looked to bolster its alliances with Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus and Italy. Barak held talks with his Cypriot and Greek counterparts this past week during meetings in Tel Aviv and Athens.
Last week, the head of security at the Israeli Transportation Ministry asked Bulgarian authorities to increase security around Israeli tourists in Sofia after a suspicious package was discovered on a bus that was supposed to transport the tourists from Turkey to Bulgaria.On Thursday, the defense establishment decided to tighten security over Israeli delegations overseas out of concern that Iran will avenge the assassination of a senior nuclear scientist earlier in the week and ahead of the anniversary of the killing of Hezbollah’s military chief.Hezbollah is believed to be actively seeking revenge for the assassination, and over the years there have been reports of a number of plots that were thwarted including an attempt to bomb the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan.
