Bulgaria vowed on Wednesday that it will continue keeping its military presence in Iraq despite the execution of a Bulgarian civilian by Iraqi militants.  

"Bulgaria must continue to contribute to reconstruction, stabilization and democratic development in Iraq, in conformity with its international obligations resulting from UN resolutions," said a joint statement issued by Bulgaria's president, prime minister and parliament speaker.

On Tuesday, Sofia confirmed that Georgi Lazov, 30, one of the two Bulgarian truckers held hostage by Iraqi militants, had been beheaded.

"I can confirm that one of the Bulgarians has been executed," said government spokesman Dimitar Tsonev. "We are in the hands of people whose actions are difficult to predict."

Shock and sorrow arising from the execution have swept across the Balkan country. The Foreign Ministry has repeatedly warned against traveling to Iraq by Bulgarian citizens due to the worsening security situation there.

Last Thursday, Lazov, an employee of an international freight company in Bulgaria's Blagoevgrad, was, along with his colleague Ivailo Kepov, kidnapped by members of the Tawhid and Jihad group that has close links to the al-Qaida terrorist network.

In a video footage of the beheading of Lazov sent to the al-Jazeera television station, the captors also threatened to kill Kepov within 24 hours if the United States refused to release all Iraqi detainees.

Bulgaria, a close ally of the United States on the Iraq war, has nearly 500 soldiers in Karbala, south of Baghdad.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2004)