site.btaUPDATED Vice President on Best Option to Look into Allegations that PM Attempted to Change Bulgaria's Position on UN Resolution on Srebrenica Genocide

Vice President Iliana Iotova Friday said the best option would be to give [Prime Minister and] Foreign Minister Dimitar Glavchev a closed-door hearing by the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee and to look into the whole correspondence with Bulgaria's Permanent Representative to the UN so as to dispel any doubts that Bulgaria applies double standards in its foreign policy. Iotova was asked by reporters to comment on allegations about an attempt by the caretaker Prime Minister to change Sofia's position on a UN resolution on the Srebrenica genocide, designating July 11 as the "International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica".

Iotova said: "I am not certain yet that there was such an attempt, that is why it would make sense to have a Parliament sitting during the election campaign."

Bulgaria is holding snap parliamentary elections and European elections on June 9.

"To me, it is very important to hear the position of the Bulgarian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister because this is about the country's international prestige - this is a very serious matter," Iotova said. "It is up to the MPs to decide if they will sit in plenary, but there are things which should be considered behind closed doors so that we can be certain and protect our prestige abroad," she said.

"I trust documents, that is why I want to see the entire communication with Washington, the considerations, the arguments and the final decision that came from Bulgaria," the Vice President said.

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) Friday submitted a motion for holding an extraordinary sitting of Parliament to hear Glavchev on the UN Srebrenica resolution case. CC-DB want Glavchev to be given a hearing in connection with a leaked cable sent to Bulgaria's Permanent Representative to the UN, Lachezara Stoeva. The leaked documents show that she defied last-minute instructions from Glavchev to abstain in a vote on the UN resolution.

On Thursday, the caretaker government said in a position that Bulgaria has a consistent and unchanged position in recognizing the victims of Srebrenica and has participated in all initiatives related to their commemoration. The letter to the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the UN, which was circulated in the public domain, does not contain the final instructions to Ambassador Stoeva, the caretaker government said. "The leaked documents are only part of the decision-making process and do not represent it in its entirety. This only creates ground for speculation, interpretation and manipulation on the matter."

Iotova attended the opening of the General Assembly meeting of the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) and was awarded its highest distinction, the Medal for Humanity, by BRC President Hristo Grigorov.