site.btaBulgarian Foreign Ministry Statement Regarding Media Comments by Serbian Government Representative

In connection with comments by a representative of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, reflected in Bulgarian media, the Foreign Ministry published a statement on Thursday.

Bulgaria will continue to take care of guaranteeing the rights of all Bulgarian communities abroad. This is one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statement said.

With regard to the Republic of Serbia and the Bulgarian national minority there, Bulgaria will continue to insist that the institutions in the neighbouring country respect their own legislation in the field of the rights of national minorities, as well as the commitments arising from the EU accession process.

The difference between the constitutional structure of Serbia and other countries, including Bulgaria, cannot be used as an argument for a possible refusal of the Serbian state to fulfill its commitment to guarantee the rights and freedoms of representatives of national minorities, including Bulgarians, the statement said.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry regards as surprising and extremely inappropriate statements that, through hypotheses and in pursuit of internal political goals, question the existence of Bulgarians in Serbia and the need to protect their rights. This harms the dignity of Bulgarians in the neighbouring country and in no way contributes to the development of good neighbourly relations with Bulgaria.

Such behavior contradicts basic principles and values of the European Union and Serbia's declared aspiration for membership in this democratic family, the statement concludes.

On Wednesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, stated in a TV interview for the Serbian Pink TV that Bulgaria does not recognize national minorities, but on the other hand reacted to the situation of the Bulgarian national minority in Serbia.