site.btaBulgarian Politicians Condole with Families of Victims in Nice Attack

Bulgarian Politicians Condole with Families of Victims in Nice Attack

Sofia, July 15 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, President Rosen Plevneliev, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov, and many other Bulgarian politicians expressed shock Friday with the latest attack in France which killed more than 80 people and injured hundreds others in Nice.

The Foreign Ministry in Sofia said no Bulgarians are reported among the victims of the attack. The Bulgarian embassy in Paris is following the developments and is in constant contact with the French authorities.

The Interior Ministry said that the consultative group on counteracting terrorism discussed Friday the situation in Europe and on the Balkans, in the wake of the Nice truck attack. The participants in the meeting concurred that at the moment no data are present to suggest a concrete threat for a terrorist act on the territory of Bulgaria. The meeting was attended by representatives of the National Intelligence Agency, the State Agency for National Security, the Foreign Ministry, the ministries of the interior, of defence, of transport and communications, as well as the Security Secretary of the Council of Ministers.

President Rosen Plevneliev condemned the attack in a message of condolences to his French counterpart Francois Hollande. He said there that Bulgaria is shaken by and categorically condemns, the attempt against the foundations of civilization. "This horrific act of helplessness shows that we must stand united and determined in our fight against terror threats," Plevneliev said.

The Bulgarian Parliament observed a minute of silence for the victims of the Nice attack at the start of the plenary sitting on Friday. Speaking on behalf of the MPs,
National Assembly Deputy Chairman Dimiter Glavchev said that the Bulgarian Parliament sharply condemns any form of terrorism and pledges its determination to wage an uncompromising battle against any acts of violence to innocent people. "In these hard times we express our sympathy to the friendly French people. We mourn the victims and condole with their families and friends. We are certain that the world democratic community will stand ever more united in coping with the biggest threat of the modern world," Glavchev said.

National Assembly Chairperson Tsetska Tsacheva cabled condolences to the President of the French Senate, Gerard Larcher and to Claude Bartolone, President of the National Assembly. Tsacheva described the attack as "a barbarian act and brutal encroachment not only against France but against the entire democratic world". "We deeply mourn the innocent victims but along with sympathy and solidarity we must acknowledge that new political actions are needed without delay, and that we must stand united in the fight against terror," Tsacheva wrote. "France is immersed in tears but I believe that a great nation will find strength to force back brutal terror and the bloody barbarian act that marked its national day," Tsacheva wrote.

In their social media profiles Prime Minister Borissov and Foreign Minister Mitov offered condolences to the families of the victims.

"The people of Bulgaria will remain shoulder to shoulder with their French friends in this difficult time," Mitov wrote.

In a token of sympathy with the tragic events in Nice, the Foreign Minister cancelled a reception he was scheduled to give on Friday to mark the Day of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Service.

In more comments from the seaside city of Bourgas where he visited an ongoing naval exercise, the Prime Minister said the Nice attack was an act of brutal terrorism as it was aimed against ordinary people: not against a head of state, a government minister or police.

He said that the terror attacks and retaliatory strikes are causing tragedies on both sides, which cannot be forgiven for decades. "What was done in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan has generated terrorism that came to our streets, assembly halls and cities," he said.

Borissov added he sees a situation in which an arms race is escalating and can only cause deaths, destruction and human tragedies.

French Ambassador to Sofia Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes wrote in the Embassy's website that the multiple expressions of solidarity from Bulgarian people reaching the people of France are comforting.

Following are more comments by political leaders and members of the legislature:

ABV MP Miho Mihov, Chairman of the parliamentary Defence Committee:

We must reorder the threats to Europe, the largest of which is terror. The ministries of the defence, of interior, and the foreign ministry must assess threats systematically - whether Russia is the biggest threat to Bulgaria, whether the migratory pressure, whether terror, which has no borders. Counteracting terror requires not just force measures but also a political analysis and assessment of the situation and its origins. The builders of modern Europe will need to reassess the criteria and strategy for admitting new members to the European Union.

Radan Kanev, co-leader of the Reformist Bloc and Chairman of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, in comment for the press:

This is a political attack against freedom. If we have anything at all to protect with all our might, it is the freedom to be part of Europe and live in a violence-free society. Europe must become an integrated security space. The national governments are showing a kind of selfishness when it comes to sharing classified information and interaction among the security services of Europe, which stands in the way of making Europe an integrated security space. Bulgaria must work for maximum integration of the European security services to make sure that all which France, Belgium or the UK know, is shared with the Bulgarian services so that we can better protect ourselves. No matter how the process of Britain's departure from the EU goes, Britain must remain part of Europe's common security space.

Bulgarian Socialist Party Chairperson Kornelia Ninova cabled condolences to Ambassador Lapeyre de Cabanes and to Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, First Secretary of the French Socialist Party. Ninova voiced belief that during these hard times the French spirit and the French State will continue to stand strong, confident and brave.

The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) said in a statement that "The terror that stroke France, the residents and guests of Nice, is a symptom of the inability of the European Union to counteract Islamic terrorism that is spreading in Europe. IMRO wants from the Bulgarian State to recognize the looming threat not only in Western Europe but in Bulgaria as well. Once again the world leaders expressed hypocritical sympathy in the face of the tragedy, promising unity, support and determination. It is evident that without the creation of its own military force Europe is not a factor reckoned with respect amongst those who intend to destroy the European, Christian, democratic civilization."

The Chief Mufti Office said in a statement that the Muslims in Bulgaria sharply condemn the terrorist act in Nice. The Muslim faith and the Muslim community in Bulgaria condole and sympathize with the families of the deceased, and with the pain of the French people, the statement reads.