SOFIA, Bulgaria -- The United States and Bulgaria signed an agreement Tuesday (March 25th) to step up co-operation on nuclear non-proliferation. The accord stipulates the United States will assist in transporting spent nuclear fuel to Russia and in the upgrade of the reactor at the Nuclear Energy and Research Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The project will cost $50m. The United States will provide roughly 10% of it, with the balance provided by Bulgarian and international sources.

In other news Tuesday, the defence ministry announced that Bulgarian and US troops will hold a three-day joint military exercise in Bulgaria starting on April 6th. It will involve two Bulgarian infantry regiments and four US C-130 Hercules aircraft. (Sega, 24 Chasa - 26/03/08; bTV, News.bg, BNR - 25/03/08)