site.btaParliament Rejects Proposed Resolution on Encouraging Interparliamentary Dialogue with Russia

Parliament Rejects Proposed Resolution on Encouraging Interparliamentary Dialogue with Russia

Sofia, June 1 (BTA) - On 49-39 votes and 39 abstentions, the Bulgarian Parliament rejected a proposed resolution saying that there is a need to encourage interparliamentary dialogue between the EU and Russia.

The authors of the motion for the resolution from the group of the Bulgarian Socialist Party-Left Bulgaria proposed that Bulgaria should move for scrapping the travel restrictions for Russian deputies to the EU and negotiating reciprocal steps by Russia.
The motion also called for enhancing EU-Russia parliamentary contacts with a view to gradually normalizing relations and building concord for joint action against terrorism.

In addition to BSP-Left Bulgaria, the motion was supported by the nationalist Ataka and the left-wing ABV.

Referring to the lack of statements, Kristin Vigenin (BSP) said the silence in the plenary chamber was indicative and surely meant that the MPs had not been instructed what position to take. Fellow group member Mihail Mikov called the restrictions "foolish and absurd" because government representatives are travelling and only legislators struggle with travel restrictions.

The chair of the parliamentary foreign policy committee, Djema Grozdanova (GERB), said the Right wing were not taking the floor not because they have no position. "We do have a position, a consistent one. It is true that the situation is changing. The sanctions were imposed in 2014 and are consistently reconfirmed. The question is whether they will be softened."

She also said that no EU country, whatever its position is, has vetoed the sanctions and the reason, she argued, is the common policy of the EU in the area of security and foreign policy.

"Interparliamentary dialogue is not disturbed. It can exist where there is a will on both sides," Grozdanova said. She added it is possible to discuss a revision of sanctions on a reciprocal basis.