site.btaSocialist Party Moves for Lifting Russia Sanctions

111 POLITICS-RUSSIA SANCTIONS-SOCIALISTS-MOTION

Socialist Party
Moves for
Lifting Russia Sanctions


Sofia, July 31 (BTA) - The opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has moved for lifting the sanctions on Russia. Announcing the move to the press in Parliament, Socialist MP Anton Koutev said that the motion was signed by over 50 MPs. Koutev said the motives are predominantly economy.

"It is obvious that the sanctions have had a very bad economic effect, for Bulgaria and across Europe, and at the same time they have proven ineffective. What we ask Parliament is to take a stance against the sanctions on Russia and mandate its chairperson to announce this stance to the European Parliament and the parliaments of the other member states," Koutev explained.

He said that similar resolutions have already been made by the parliaments of France and of Cyprus and are in the pipeline in Slovakia and Belgium.

He said that Bulgaria will not be the first or the only country debating such a decision, and that it is part of European politics.

Koutev cited statistics showing that trade between Russia and the United States increased four-fold in the past four years while the commercial exchange between Bulgaria and Russia has dropped.

The MP argued further that there are several sectors in the Bulgarian economy which have been hit badly by the sanctions: tourism, the light industry and food processing.

Koutev's fellow party member Valeri Zhablyanov said that the motion fits in the overall policy of the EU for a thaw in relations with Russia. LY/LN