site.btaBulgarian Institutions Not Approached for Consent to Reactivation of Russian Consulate in Varna - Foreign Minister

For the moment, Bulgarian institutions have not been approached for a consent as required for a reactivation of the Russian Consulate General in Varna at a new address," Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev wrote in a written answer to a question by Stela Nikolova MP of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria, which was delivered on February 28 and is published on the National Assembly website.

Nikolova wrote in her question that she had obtained information according to which the Russian Federation will request to reopen is consulate in Varna and has earmarked the office building of the Bulgarian Patent Office in the coastal city.

"In June 2022, a total of 70 diplomats and administrative and technical service employees of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria, including such on the staff of the consulate general in Varna, were declared personae non gratae in the territory of Bulgaria owing to compelling data that they had engaged in activity incompatible with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," Georgiev writes, adding that "the justification of the decision take by the competent Bulgarian authorities is not called into question". "The June 2022 decision of the Bulgarian government, however, does not include a withdrawal of the consent to the functioning of the consulate general of the Russian Federation in Varna," the answer reads.

"The Russian side has been formally informed that, in order to ensure reciprocity of the level of the two countries' diplomatic representation, the size of Russia's diplomatic and consular staff in the territory of Bulgaria was restricted ex nunc to 23 diplomats and 25 administrative and technical service employees, respectively. The Russian side may not exceed these limits, regardless of whether the Consulate General in Varna functions or not," the Minister explained.

On June 28, 2022, then Bulgarian prime minister Kiril Petkov said that 70 diplomats and employees of Russia's diplomatic missions in Bulgaria had been asked to leave the country, including almost the entire staff of the consulate general in Varna, including Consul General Vladimir Klimanov. The expulsion was prompted by three reports from the State Agency for National Security and a decision of the inter-agency council on security. The consulate was closed in late October 2022.

On February 27, www.dnevnik.bg reported that it has approached the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, which had twice denied that Russia had formally requested an establishment of its consulate in Varna at a new address but had confirmed that the Ministry had looked for a suitable building. Dnevnik learned that back since the beginning of 2024 the Russian Enmbassy in Sofia has been periodically viewing private properties in Varna, planning to rent them for a resumption of its consular operation in the Black Sea city.

The Ministry specified in its answer to dnevnik.bg that, taking an administrative step arising from a provision of the Vienna Convention, it had asked the Varna Regional Governor and Varna Municipality whether an immovable property under their jurisdiction was available for the needs of Russia's Consulate General. The Regional Governor pointed out in her answer that a state-owned property complying with the parameters indicated by the Russian side was not available in Varna Region at this point in time. Varna Municipality had not yet responded to the Ministry's query.