site.btaOugtoing PM Denkov Comments Upcoming Cabinet-forming Negotiations, Expects Positive Results but No Guarantees

Commenting the upcoming negotiations between the two largest political forces in Parliament, GERB-UDF and Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, about forming a cabinet, outgoing Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov told Bulgarian National TV's Panorama talk show on Friday evening that both sides are willing to negotiate and negotiations will start tomorrow on Saturday. "I expect them to end positively, with no guarantees," Denkov said.   

Nikolay Denkov submiited his resignation in Parliament on March 5, and it was approved the following day unanimously. Negotiations for a cabinet headed by incumbent Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel are still pending. The outgoing government made a report Friday in the Council of Ministers on the work done in the past nine months. 

"The resignation date was defined exactly nine months ago, we submitted it exactly when we said it would happen, there is no surprise here," said Nikolay Denkov, commenting the agreement between the two largest political forces rotate the Government and have Denkov step down in favour of Mariya Gabriel. "We want to go to negotiations as soon as possible," the outgoing Prime Minister added. 

"When there is a transition from one government to another, there is a grey time zone in which the administration almost stops working, every delay interferes with the work of the government. What we wanted was to start negotiations as quickly as possible," Denkov explained. "With the decision to resign, we have opened the door for negotiations," he added. "I am pleased with this document, which GERB put on the table on the other side, against our memorandum, because it already shows that both sides are willing to negotiate," he said. 

Nikolay Denkov did not comment on what the government would look like after the rotation, explaining that he is holding talks with Mariya Gabriel and when they have a common position they will present it to the media.  

"We want to go full speed ahead on justice reform, fighting corruption, European integration - these are the priorities we want to fulfil," he said. Commenting Bulgaria's foreign policy, Nikolay Denkov said that he and Mariya Gabriel had no differences.