Angelov's seven-day trip, which kicks off on Saturday, will be "the launch of technical negotiations about NATO's missile defence in Europe in general," the minister told journalists.

Bulgaria "has not received an official invitation" to host elements of the common defence system, he explained.

But he said he would "seek very concrete information at a political level on the new US administration's approach to missile defence in Europe" and its contribution to the project.

"My second task is to study the possibilities for improving our air defence system which, under certain conditions, could also implement missile defence tasks," Angelov added.

Bulgaria's "financial participation in NATO's joint missile defence fund" was another topic on the agenda, the minister said.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov already said in February that he favoured taking part in a planned US missile shield to counter threats from the Middle East, but no concrete talks have yet been held.

"If in other countries the need (for missile defence in Europe) is not that strong, for countries such as Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, and Romania, who fall within the range of missiles coming from countries in the Middle East, the risk is extremely high," Angelov explained Friday.

"The mere possibility of being targeted... makes us anxious. That is why we are strongly promoting the idea for creating a common NATO missile defence system in Europe," he added.

Bulgaria's northern neighbour Romania has already received an official invitation from the US and started negotiations last week on hosting SM3-type medium-range ballistic missile interceptors to be operational by 2015.

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