"There is no such ban anymore," Defence Minister Anyu Angelov told journalists, adding that women would be free to apply for jobs on submarines and in the national guard -- which was also banned previously -- as early as next month.

In effect, however, women wishing to serve on submarines will have no such opportunity, as parliament on Thursday also passed a plan to reform the armed forces that involved mothballing the nation's lone sub.

The restrictions on women serving in submarines or in the national guard -- imposed in 2005 -- came under fire in August, when two female military academy students sued the defence ministry for discrimination, after they were not allowed to apply to the national guards' unit.

"There will be female national guards soon," Angelov promised.

On the possibility of female generals, however, he remained vague, only saying: "Every soldier has to walk a certain road before they can obtain a higher rank."

Around 14 percent of Bulgaria's 44,100-strong armed forces are women, according to Angelov.

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