site.btaParliament Hears Foreign Minister about Syria

Speaking at a hearing in Parliament on Wednesday, caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov said that the ministry is watching the situation in Syria closely and hopes the transition of power will be peaceful. Kondov and caretaker Minister of Interior Atanas Ilkov were heard in relation to the measures taken by the government to ensure security in connection with the processes in the Middle East, and in Syria in particular.

“We urge the protection of members of all religious minorities, Christian and other faiths, as well as the safety of foreign nationals and respect for diplomatic missions in Damascus. Due to security problems, we have evacuated the Bulgarian diplomats from the embassy in Damascus who are currently in Beirut. 

Ivan Kondov pointed out that they do not expect an increase in migration yet. “We believe that in fact this process will lead to a reverse process of bringing Syrian refugees and a reduction in the pressure from Syrian citizens to Bulgaria,” he said.

“At the same time, it should be clear that the migratory pressure from the Middle East will not decrease, as the processes there continue to be very destructive and there is still no peace,” the minister pointed out. 

In his presentation, Minister Kondov noted that although the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime creates opportunities for the resumption of the political process, the security situation is extremely volatile and creates risks of internal confrontation, manifestations of extremism and resurgence of terrorism. 

"Bulgaria's position on Syria remains unchanged. We continue to support the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Syrian state, and we fully support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy Geir Pedersen," he said.

"At this time, it is of the utmost importance to launch an inclusive, Syrian-led political dialogue in implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2254 to ensure an orderly peaceful and inclusive transition. We stress the need for national reunification and the building of a sovereign, democratic, multiconfessional and multi-ethnic Syrian state. It is particularly important for a democratic transition to preserve functional state institutions and to renounce violence and extremism in the country's domestic political life," the caretaker Foreign Minister added.