The US has officially said that if Bulgaria continues its current progress, it will be invited to join NATO in November 2002. The EADS (European Aerospace) consortium has set up a facility in Bulgaria to provide maintenance for the remaining MiG fighters. The company gave the Bulgarians a bargain price deal in order to gain a foothold in the Bulgarian military aircraft market. Bulgaria has agreed to destroy its SS-23 Spider battlefield ballistic missiles (after the US agreed to pay the cost of their disposal).--Stephen V Cole