The Bulgarian cabinet adopted a decision Thursday to ask the President to dismiss all ambassadors of the country who were revealed to have been part of communist State Security.

Last week the special government committee researching the files of State Security revealed that some 40% of Bulgarian diplomats have been enlisted in the former intelligence services.

Immediately after that information was released, both PM Boyko Borisov and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Mladenov expressed indignance and vowed to release from service all those involved.

The situation polarized Bulgarian society and the political stage, with some sharing the cabinet's exasperation, while others arguing that it is a natural fact that a country's diplomatic corps is connected with its intelligence services.

In particular Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has spoken out loud against the government's position, arguing that those diplomats are serving the country well, and that the cabinet actually wants to illegitimately replace them.

Thursday PM Borisov stated that cabinet wants the diplomats returned to Sofia, where they would work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Mladenov explained that this move does not reflect a judgment on the persons' professional qualities. "20 years after the 1989 changes Bulgaria cannot afford to be labeled as a country working with cadres from communist State Security," said Mladenov.

The cabinet's Thursday decision includes the recall of all State Security consuls. The President is the institution that has the authority to dismiss ambassadors.

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