BULGARIA PROVIDES MILITARY AID TO MACEDONIA








BELGRADE, March 9. /Sergei Ryabikin, RIA Novosti Correspondent/. Ten trucks have arrived in Macedonia from Bulgaria, bringing 100 tonnes of ammunition and other combat materiel. All in all, Bulgaria has pledged to ship $8m worth of military aid to Macedonia to help the country curb the insurgency of Albanian extremists spreading in its northern areas.


	Bulgaria was the first country to recognize Macedonia's independence in 1992 and has since repeatedly stood up for the neighboring country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Two years ago, Bulgaria handed 90 T-55 tanks and the same number of artillery cannon over to Macedonia.


	Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostev, who is currently in Skopje, said his country would "provide full moral, political, and military aid to the Macedonian leadership in order to help it face Albanian terrorists."