site.btaSocialists Demand PM Borissov to Account to Parliament for Bulgarian Envoy's Recall from Moscow

Sofia, March 28 (BTA) - BSP for Bulgaria Secretary Kristian Vigenin told journalists here on Wednesday that his parliamentary group insists that Prime Minister Boyko Borissov come to the National Assembly and explain why he recalled the Bulgarian Ambassador in Moscow. "The Prime Minister owes this information above all to Bulgarian citizens but also to the MPs. Borissov must familiarize the MPs with Bulgaria's positions on the unfolding diplomatic crisis. We are ready to hear him at a sitting behind closed doors," Vigenin added.

On Tuesday, Borissov recalled Bulgarian Ambassador to Russia Boyko Kotsev for consultations with the Government. They discussed by phone the nerve agent attack on former Russian double agent Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury and the reactions in Russia, the EU and the international community.

The US, Canada and 20 European countries including France, Germany and Ukraine have expelled Russian diplomats over the attack. Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg, as well as the EU, have withdrawn their ambassadors from Moscow.

For the time ,Bulgaria does not plan to expel Russian diplomats over the Skripal row.

Borissov said the UK had claimed that there was "high probability" that Russia was behind the Skripals' poisoning but he needed more hard evidence. "This is a joint decision and we support it," he said, referring to the EU's support for Britain.

The Prime Minister described the situation with the recall of European ambassadors from Russia and the retaliatory action taken by Moscow as "a diplomatic crisis, even a diplomatic war, reminiscent of the Cold War period." "This gives every political force in Bulgaria food for thought on what is happening in reality," he commented.

"We are dissatisfied with the Bulgarian Government's inconsistent position because in recent days we have witnessed disparate statements and actions by the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister. In this situation, such wavering spells risks to the country. When you adopt a position, you must stand up for it," said Vigenin, who was Bulgaria's foreign minister in 2013-2014 and now chairs the parliamentary EU Affairs and European Funds Oversight Committee.

"I hope that the Bulgarian Government does not act under pressure from foreign services or governments and that the positions it adopts are well reasoned from the point of view of the Bulgarian interest," the opposition MP said. "We can see that there are governments in the EU which stand up for their position and do not change it within hours," he added.

"So far we have not seen compelling evidence, not to say any evidence at all, that Russia is directly involved in the Skripal case," Vigenin said. "If such evidence is produced, we could show certain understanding of what is going on," he added.

"An ambassador's recall is a relatively soft position," Vigenin explained. He noted that in 2017 the Government recalled for consultations Bulgaria's Ambassador to Turkey Nadezhda Neynsky. "Now we can see that relations between Bulgaria and Turkey are different," he commented.

"It is important to show solidarity, but it is just as important to keep normal bilateral relations with Russia," GERB/EPP MEP Emil Radev commented in Parliament's lobby. "Let's wait and see how the case will develop, because we expect new evidence, let's see the progress of the investigations - some things are unclear," he specified if and how Sofia will act further on.

"Bulgaria, just as the EU, will respond to the new facts and circumstances," the MEP believes.

According to Radev, Europe showed solidarity with Britain on a very important matter, but each Member State decides on its own how to express this solidarity. "Some countries have recalled their ambassadors, others have practically expelled Russian diplomats," he pointed out.