SOFIA, April 28 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign minister said Friday that NATO should observe its international commitments as it prepares to deploy a military base in Bulgaria under an agreement with the former Soviet satellite.
"It is up to Bulgaria to decide the terms under which foreign bases are deployed on its soil. But, of course, this whole process should take full account of the North Atlantic alliance's international legal obligations, including to restrain the deployment of substantial military forces on the territory of new NATO member states," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after a meeting with Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov.
Lavrov dismissed Bulgarian media reports that Russia could redirect its missiles at Bulgaria if a NATO military base is deployed in the Balkan state.
"Nothing of the kind. It's just journalists with a very sick imagination who indulge in such speculation," he said.
