site.btaForeign Minister Mitov: Bulgaria's Losses from Sanctions against Russia Are in Field of Agriculture and around 10 Million Euro

Foreign Minister Mitov: Bulgaria's Losses from
Sanctions against Russia
Are in Field of Agriculture and around 10 Million Euro


Sofia, September 12 (BTA) - No other losses have been
established for the Bulgarian economy from the European
sanctions against Russia at this stage, except in the field of
agriculture, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said in a BTA
interview on Friday.

The direct losses for Bulgari, resulting from the import ban on
agricultural products, currently stand at around ten million
euro, Mitov explained, adding that temporary extraordinary
measures for helping producers have been introduced by the EC,
which aim to mitigate the effects of a sharp drop in the price
of such products. The funds provided under the measures amount
to 125 million euro and will come from the budget of the common
organization of agricultural markets.

Minister Mitov also commented last week's NATO summit by saying
that the allies came out of it much more united. "The meeting
took place at an exceptionally important moment in our most
recent history, both because of the situation in Ukraine and
because of the risk of a political and humanitarian catastrophe
in the Middle East. This is why it was important for NATO to
give a clear answer to these two strategic global security
challenges," he noted.

Mitov said that the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq are a direct
threat to Bulgaria's national security. Among the first
negative effects of the jihadists' actions is the increased
refugee flow. The border police has reported an increase in the
number of illegal migrants crossing the Bulgarian-Turkish border
in the past few months, most of whom are from Syria and Iraq,
he said. "This is why we think that the EU must provide
significant assistance to the Republic of Turkey, which can hold
off the refugee wave," he said.

Each member of the EU and NATO must be aware of the risks in the
Middle East and decide on the resources it can contribute for
addressing the threat, Mitov said. "We must seek allies among
the Arab countries, as well as the Arab communities here and
this is where diplomacy plays its role. It is precisely these
communities that suffer the most from the extreme Islamic
fundamentalism and terrorism," the Foreign Minister explained,
adding that these are the reasons Barack Obama's action plan for
Iraq and Syria was welcomed, along with France's and Britain's
strong commitment against the jihadist threat.

Bulgaria must play an active role in both the diplomacy and
security fields. "We, along with most of the EU Member States,
decided to give a positive answer to the military assistance
request, made by the Kurdish regional authorities and the Iraqi
Government. This is one of the ways to limit the conflict and
prevent its escalation, Mitov said.

Commenting the Kristalina Georgieva's portfolio in the new
European Commission, Mitov said that the EU's budget and human
resources policy, combined with the functions of EC Vice
President, are an exceptional success and acknowledgement. SN/MY


/МЙ/