site.btaBulgaria Would Back New Sanctions against Russia Only If They Would Propel Talks on Syria

Bulgaria Would Back New Sanctions against Russia Only If They Would Propel Talks on Syria

Brussels, October 20 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told journalists in Brussels Thursday that his country would support new sanctions against Russia only if they would propel negotiations on Syria. Borissov said: "If the sanctions are strong enough to bring everyone back to the negotiating table, I'm all thumbs up. What is going on in Aleppo is unacceptable and should be stopped by Russia. With all my respect. The sanctions are bad for business, for the economy, for agriculture - for everything. There is something more important than profit, business and economic interests. It is human life, the values which the European Union and we all share."

Borissov arrived in the Belgian capital earlier in the day to participate in a European Council meeting.

He went on to say: "I know what I am doing to myself with these words, because we are in the middle of negotiations [with Russia] about the legacy we have got in the energy sector, but values matter more. We will defend them till the end. Earlier, I also spoke out against the United States, France, Britain when people were dying in bombings. But now, what is going on in Aleppo is unacceptable."

Borissov recalled that he had joined others who insisted that the sanctions against Russia over Crimea should be lifted this year, but only if the Minsk ceasefire agreement was observed. He welcomed Wednesday's four-way leader talks about the Minsk deal. "I hope that the dialogue is maintained every day, the Minsk agreements are observed and the war in Syria stops immediately. There can be no excuse for attacking hospitals, schools, residential buildings," he said.

The Prime Minister added: "The values of humanity, human rights, life, are getting at odds with the economic interests of some countries. No! We must be very firm on that."