site.btaBulgarian Government Keeps Backing Bokova's Bid for UN Top Job

Bulgarian Government Keeps Backing Bokova's Bid for UN Top Job

Sofia, September 13 (BTA) - "The Government continues to support Irina Bokova's candidacy for UN Secretary-General," Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said before the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"Our support will continue at least until September 26," he pointed out, referring to the next ballot at the UN Security Council. "We will make every effort that Bokova places among the top two," Borissov said. "We will decide what to do after the 26th," he added.

Several news outlets recently reported, quoting undisclosed government sources, that Bulgaria is likely to support a possible nomination of European Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva for UN Secretary-General.

"I invited Irina Bokova today, but she answered that she was busy working at UNESCO. This did not impress me favourably, once you're invited by a government that nominates you, but I insisted on saying it in her presence."

"The previous [GERB] government worked very actively for Irina Bokova' election as UNESCO Director-General," Borissov said. "Long before it was time for nominations for UN Secretary-General, several years ago, in the last days of the previous cabinet, [then Prime Minister Plamen] Oresharski decided to nominate Bokova, even though he knew that [the election] was many years away. They did it, and nobody bothered to ask me," the PM noted. "Our Government is trying to maintain continuity, which is why we confirmed Irina Bokova's nomination by a Council of Ministers decision," he explained.

"The candidates' hearings began, and then certain people started to speculate about our support for Bokova," Borissov pointed out. "We sent out a lot of letters, soliciting support for our nomination, ranging from the Emperor of Japan to [British Prime Minister] Theresa May, to all kings and presidents and, from me, to the countries' prime ministers," Borissov said. "By those letters we asked everybody in the world, and those with whom we are on friendlier terms, we asked them to assist and support us to a maximum extent. All this shows that we have worked honestly and honourably for Mrs Bokova's election, and I disagree that she was nominated late. She was nominated two years before the right time for that," Borissov argued.

"We are making enormous efforts, and we will keep making them, but I wouldn't allow anybody to tamper with Bulgaria's name and with our sovereignty. I will not allow our nomination to be decided in other countries, and I have not allowed it," he emphasized.

"Four ballots have already taken place, and our candidate has placed third, fifth or seventh. Macedonia and Serbia already rank ahead of us. Someone wants to blame me, you and Bulgaria for their lack-lustre showing," Borissov said. "If this was a GERB candidate, I would have recalled him a long time ago, as was the case of Rumiana Jeleva [who was nominated for EU commissioner by the first Boyko Borissov cabinet and failed dismally at her European Parliament hearing]. Once a candidate tops the ranking and we trail Macedonia and Serbia, we get comments that we all but will wreck this nomination and nominate somebody else. I have said that I will not run for president, but why not run for the UN?" Borissov said, specifying that he was only joking.

"Speculation about foreign powers' intervention originates from the media," Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said. "The Bulgarian Government does not wish to be drawn into such arrangements about a switch of candidates. We will not be influenced and depend on third countries' decisions," Mitov said. "The reactions of the Russian Federation can by no means be interpreted as being in somebody's favour or disfavour. The countries still have the opportunity to finalize their decision," the Foreign Minister said.