Interior Minister Veselin Vuchkov has handed his resignation, the government's press office has confirmed.

PM Boyko Borisov has accepted his decision.

Vuchkov stepped down during a Council of Ministers session, according to 24 Chasa daily.

Ministry officials had first been unavailable for comment.

Vuchkov has been at odds with Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov over the Prime Minister's recent reluctance to replace Interior Ministry secretary Svetlozar Lazarov and national security agency DANS head Vladimir Pisanchev.

Sources of 24 Chasa reportedly described his gesture at the cabinet meeting as "theatrical".

The minister in resignation earlier submitted a report arguing the replacement of both officials was indispensable.

However, the Council of Ministers described the move as "redundant" for the moment.

Vuchkov's resignation coincides with a visit by FBI Director James Comey, who met Borisov on Wednesday morning for a one-hour, closed-door meeting.

Under Bulgaria's constitution, the outgoing minister will now be able to return to Parliament as a lawmaker, a position to which he was elected in the October 2014 early vote.

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