Washington will hold preliminary talks with the Bulgarian government on hosting parts of a US missile shield, new agencies quoted Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov as saying on Friday.

Asked whether Bulgaria - a NATO and European Union member - would accept the US plan, Borisov said Sofia should show solidarity.

"This is not a decision that will be taken only by me," Borisov told reporters. "We are waiting replies from the European Commission and from the Bulgarian parliament."

He added: "My opinion is that we have to show solidarity. When you are a member of NATO, you have to work for the collective security."

The expected talks with Sofia are part of a revamped US missile defense approach taken by President Barack Obama since he scrapped a Bush-era plan for a radar site and interceptor rockets in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Last week, Bulgaria's neighbor and fellow NATO member, Romania, said its top defense body had approved Washington's plan to deploy interceptor missiles.

A State Department spokesman said the facilities were due to become operational by 2015 and were aimed at defending against "current and emerging ballistic missile threats from Iran."