site.btaContinue the Change Calls "Unacceptable" Bulgaria's Absence from EU's Foreign Affair Council after Deadly Russian Attack in Sumy

In a statement released to the media on Monday, the Continue the Change (CC) party described the absence of Bulgarian representative at European Union's Foreign Affair Council meeting on April 14 as "unacceptable". The party stressed that the meeting was held a day after a deadly Russian missile strike in the centre of the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Palm Sunday. The attack killed 34 people and injured over 120, Ukrainian Ambassador to Bulgaria Olesya Ilashchuk said earlier in the day.

"At a time when European leaders clearly condemned the attack as a war crime and an act of terrorism, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev was absent from the meeting. It is even more worrying that Bulgaria was not even represented by a deputy minister," Continue the Change wrote. The party added that the meeting was devoted to discussing the joint response to Russian aggression and strengthening European support for Ukraine.

The party's statement says that its Co-Chair Kiril Petkov has аddressed an official parliamentary question to the Prime Minister demanding an explanation for Bulgaria's absence from the important European forum. He also raised the question whether this behaviour signals a change in the National Assembly's established policy of support for Ukraine.

"Bulgaria's absence from the Foreign Affair Council after the bloody attack in Sumy is unacceptable. It sends the wrong signal about our commitment to the fundamental European values - peace, security and protection of civilians," Petkov said.

"Continue the Change strongly demands an immediate explanation from the Government and recalls that the country's foreign policy should be guided by the principles of solidarity, protection of international law and responsibility towards the future of Europe," the statement reads.