Bulgarian Legation, Washington (Shterev), Cable to Foreign Ministry

In his cable to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, Ambasador Kiril Shterev reports information about expected US assistance to Greece in 1963. Shterev acquired the information during lunch with the Greek Charge d' Affaires, Counselor Kalougeras. Kalougeras also mentioned Turkey's possible entrance into the European Economic Community and inquired about US-Bulgarian relations.

Bulgarian General Consul in Istanbul Dimo Karadimov reports to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry news of new ballistic missiles in Turkey. Specifically, Karadimov notes that the US military will replace Jupiter missiles with Polaris missiles within the year. Karadimov cannot confirm NATO's involvement.

Bulgarian Charge d’Affaires in the US Kiril Shterev reports to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that US Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric stated that three submarines carrying Polaris missiles will be deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. The deployment follows US withdrawal from Italian and Turkish bases after the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Bulgarian Embassy in Athens staff member Atanasov reports on Greek media accounts of military preparations to the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Atanasov, Greek newspapers report preparations include Soviet movements in the Mediterranean in response to US submarines carrying Polaris missiles, Bulgarian maneuvers near the Greek and Turkish borders, and an anticipated NATO forward strategy in Greece. Atanasov adds that NATO is preparing the defense of possible attacks on Greece.

Deputy Forieng Minister Lubomir Angelov transmits to Bulgaria's embassy in Turkey information from Bulgarian Ambassador to Great Britain Radenko Grigorov. Angelov's message is handwritten and reports news about Soviet and US submarine presence in the Mediterranean, which initially Grigorov acquired from Turkey's ambassador to Great Britain.

On 5 July 1963 the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs completed an information report on NATO's activity during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the report, the ministry outlines detailed espionage carried out by NATO agents. According to the report, the NATO Military Intelligence Services provided instructions for NATO member-states' military attaches stationed in Warsaw Pact countries and agents they could get to cooperate with them. Agents were to observe and report specific military intelligence collecting in Warsaw Pact countries -- arms deliveries, missile sites, military movements, etc. The report also includes explanation of how the attaches carried out their intelligence gathering -- reading official press, speaking in Russian and misrepresenting themselves as Russian, etc . The Bulgarian Interior Ministry notes that Western governments were well-informed of Bulgarian military structures -- including exact formations and secret designations.