The meeting of President Rumen Radev with the Chairman of the Epizootic Council at the Council of Ministers and Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev, the Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva, her Deputy Janko Ivanov, the Minister of Environment and Water Neno Dimov, the Interior Minister Mladen Marinov, the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Iliev and experts on African swine fever in Bulgaria.

During the meeting, the responsible parties should inform President Rumen Radev about the current situation and the measures that are being implemented to resolve the crisis.

"This crisis is only part of the general crisis in the country, related to the breakthrough in the NRA and the unfavourable F16 contracts and the protests related to the election of the Chief Prosecutor of Bulgaria. At this point it is extremely important for the state to demonstrate its responsibility and ability to deal with the African swine fever because it affects not only the industry but also all Bulgarians, " Radev said in his welcome address to his guests and expressed hope that we could deal with the crisis if everyone is together.

Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva announced that to this date, the outbreaks of infection in Bulgaria are already 26.

"The African swine fever enters the EU in 2013, in Europe after 2000, in Romania - two years before it entered in Bulgaria. This is not a surprise or an unexpected event in our country. For the first time, a ASF case is registered in 2018 in Tutrakanci village and after that case was adopted a National Strategic Action Plan, "she explained, adding that all measures implemented in Bulgaria are in line with the European Strategy for the Fight against African swine fever, adopted in 2015.

“To date, we have 26 registered outbreaks type “domestic pigs”. Five cases have been confirmed today in Popino, Silistra and in the Balgarsko slivovo, Svishtov, in industrial pig farms.