Bulgaria's government made it clear that it would not change its position on Iraqi crises after French President Jacque Chirac scourged Bulgaria's approach to the crises. The country should not fear its chances to get into the European Union would be harmed by French criticism. This is how Bulgaria's Prime Minster Simeon Saxe-Coburg commented Chirac's words warning against "exaggerating" the significance of his statement.

According to Bulgarian Euro-integration Minister Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria's official stand does not differ much from the union's common position as it favors pressure on Saddam Hussein to disarm. Bulgaria has announced it wants peaceful resolution and is ready to exercise military pressure to make Baghdad give up its mass destruction programs. The Foreign Ministry in Sofia stressed that its experts who examined Monday's declaration of the EU found "no word that jars with Bulgarian stand."

Minister Kuneva stressed that in case Bulgaria suffers any difficulties in its EU pre-accession negotiations over Iraq stand, this would mean swing in principles of European integration. She and the prime minister already left for Brussels to be briefed on the result of the EU emergency summit on Iraq.

Bulgaria's Parliament is to issue a response to Chirac's words on Tuesday or Wednesday according to Stanimir Ilchev, chair of the parliamentary foreign policy, defence and security committee. "As to my personal view, I cannot accept such position," he said about France's remarks.