site.btaYambol Mayor to Initiate Local Referendum over Planned Deployment of NATO Brigade in Kabile Area

Yambol Mayor Valentin Revanski will initiate a local referendum on the planned deployment of a NATO brigade in the Kabile military area, Yambol Municipality said on its website. Revanski met with the Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov, on Thursday.

"A country's greatest asset are not its bases, roads or buildings, but its people. Peace and security are priceless. The problem is that the Kabile barracks area is close to the urban area of Yambol. What matters to us is the citizens' peace of mind," the mayor said as quoted by the municipality's press office.

"During my meetings with the public, people asked that we hear the opinion of the residents of Yambol on migrant centres and NATO bases," Revanski said. He and his team are adamant that they will keep their promise to hold a local referendum.

Admiral Eftimov said the Defence Ministry was planning to expand the Kabile barracks area to the level of a 2,000-strong brigade, which will be a Bulgarian brigade, not a Bulgarian-American base like the Novo Selo training area. The Kabile area was recommended on account of its proximity to an airport and a port, to the Novo Selo training area, and because of the existing railway and road infrastructure.

Eftimov also said Kabile had not seen investments in 30 or 40 years. Now the buildings will be overhauled, new transformer substations and sewerage will be built with funding from the State budget and the NATO budget. Procedures have already been initiated by the Defence Ministry. A temporary camp is also planned to be built at the request of the leadership of the Italian-led NATO Multinational Battlegroup. The Chief of Defence added that besides more security and reliable defence, the Allied units in Bulgaria would bring economic benefits by supporting local businesses in construction, utilities and goods, among others.

The sides agreed that the Defence Ministry would conduct an awareness campaign so that local people could make an informed decision on the government's decision to expand the barracks area, Yambol Municipality said.