site.btaPM Borissov Does Not Expect Ruling Coalition to Decide on Steps against Russian Diplomats

Brussels, March 23 (BTA exclusive by Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in Brussels he would talk to his partners of the ruling coalition about the EU's decision to recall its ambassador from Moscow and the plans of EU countries to expel Russian diplomats.

The European Council Thursday decided to recall for consultations German diplomat Markus Ederer, the current head of the EU delegation to Russia. EU leaders gave their backing to Britain in blaming Russia for poisoning Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Participants in the European Council meeting said that "many EU countries" would start expelling Russian diplomatic representatives next week.

Borissov stressed that despite the preparations for Britain's withdrawal, the EU and Britain showed they are one whole and are inextricably linked. Asked if Bulgaria will take steps against Russian representatives, Borissov said: "From now on I expect a rather quick escalation of tension in the coming weeks as quite a few countries will start recalling ambassadors. While there is a high degree of probability and we have no evidence, we cannot move on to that." He also said GERB was unlikely to reach agreement with its coalition partner, the United Patriots, itself a three-party coalition. Moreover, after the Russian Patriarch's visit earlier in March, attitudes in Bulgaria are not running in that direction. "When I get home, I will talk with my colleagues," he said.

Patriarch Kirill, who was in Bulgaria for the March 3 celebrations of its liberation from Ottoman rule, was seen in a video on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church lecturing Bulgarian President Rumen Radev about what he saw as the right interpretation of history.

Borissov told Bulgarian reporters that Britain claimed there was "high probability" that Russia was behind the nerve attack on the Skripals. Meanwhile, Borissov has asked for more evidence. "We all back Britain's position," he said. The phrase "high probability" contains the word "probability", meaning there may be some other probability. "I recalled the allegations about Saddam Hussein's arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and that Tony Blair apologized later. The consequences for Iraq have been horrendous," said Borissov. "This is the joint decision and we support it," he said, referring to the EU's support for Britain.

The Prime Minister said: "Unfortunately, the times we live in are much worse than the Cold War. During the Cold War there were very clear dividing lines and two global players, there were some rules. Now everybody's attitude is so hard that I am not optimistic about the peaceful development of the world. The time when diplomats will be recalled in large numbers, when the EU's ambassador was recalled from Moscow, is unlikely to bring more peace, calm and understanding."

He added that there used to be NATO and the Warsaw Pact, while now there are many geostrategic players, many conflicts and very few open channels of dialogue and communication. "There is nothing worse than war," he said.