Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed Friday an agreement, allowing U.S. troops to be deployed in the Balkan country.

Under the 10-year deal, up to 2,500 U.S. troops will be deployed in Bulgaria on a rotating basis. The locations are the Bezmer and the Graf Ignatievo air bases, the Novo Selo training area and a storage site near Aitos in the east.

The bases will be used for the training of American soldiers, who enjoy judiciary immunity.

However, if an American soldier commits a serious crime on Bulgaria's territory, he will be sued, according to local laws.

The agreement excluded the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction on Bulgarian territory.

The first U.S. troops are expected to be deployed in Bulgaria by the year's end or early next year.

Rice, who is now in Sofia for an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers, said the agreement "will enhance our cooperation, allowing the shared use of Bulgarian training facilities and strengthen our ability to operate together militarily."

Kalfin said the deal "not only enhances security in Bulgaria, but also in the whole region."

The agreement must be ratified by Bulgaria's parliament before it comes into force.

Source: Xinhua