site.btaBNB Is Independent Institution, Strongly Condemns Any Attempt for Political Interference in Its Activities, BNB Says

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) is an independent institution and strongly condemns any attempt of political interference in its activities, the BNB stated in a position published on its website Monday.

Earlier on Monday the leader of Vazrazhdane Kostadin Kostadinov entered the BNB lobby with a request for a meeting with the Central Bank Governor.

"At 10:30 an attempt was made to hold a political action in the BNB building by the party Vazrazhdane. Bulgarian law and European law do not allow such events in the building of the Central Bank", the BNB said. It added that such attempts were unacceptable both in terms of the law and the institutional order in the country. The place of political disputes in which the political party Vazrazhdane is trying to interfere with the Central Bank is in the National Assembly, within the political debate, the BNB said.

"We call on the Parliament and other competent state institutions to support with all the rigour of the law the right of the BNB and other independent institutions to exercise their statutory mandate without political pressure", the BNB further stated.

Later on Monday, in a statement by the party's press centre, Vazrazhdane MP Viktor Papazov was quoted as saying that the purpose of the visit was to meet the BNB governor and discuss an "IMF visit with an unclear purpose".