”There is no official information from the Russian side that Bulgaria is involved in an investigation into the explosion of the Crimean bridge. Insinuations are made through the media. Suggestions are obviously applied in countries where they can work.”

This was said by the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Milkov during his regular briefing today.

"I am disturbed by the leakage of such information (about the so-called "Bulgarian trail") on such a sensitive issue from such a conservative institution, as it is a national consequence (the information that the truck that exploded on the bridge passed via Bulgaria, leaked to the media with reference to a statement from the Russian national investigation) I do not believe that the Russian investigative service also gives daily press conferences about its progress on matters with such an investigation on such an important matter, especially that this information changes daily, depending perhaps on certain goals being pursued. I don't know, we can only guess because we don't have any official information from the Russian side. That is, what exists at the moment are suggestions made through the media , which in principle do not constitute a subject of activity of the state institutions at this moment and do not cause the need for such reactions.

It is a sensitive point that these suggestions are being raised by various social groups in our country and public tension is being caused which is not necessary in this situation. All these public tensions risk causing certain management deficits, straining state mechanisms – be it a parliament that will function in the future or a government at the moment. Unfortunately, this would be the effect if these suggestions were picked up in this way by the media. The suggestions are obviously being implemented in countries where they can work," said Milkov.

Invitation to Mitrofanova

Milkov also commented on the question of whether the Foreign Ministry gave a recommendation that the ambassadors of the Russian Federation, Eleonora Mitrofanova, and of Belarus, Nikita Leshukov, be invited to the opening of the 48th National Assembly next Wednesday, which ignited passions among politicians this past week. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not make recommendations and it is not its job to do so, "because Bulgaria is a parliamentary country" and "the decision rests with the National Assembly, which is the highest body in the country and could make its own decision", he emphasized and explained what has happened.

The administration of the National Assembly has requested an opinion from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on what the protocol practice is. The ministry has been informing it about the EC's recommendations since the beginning of March, shortly after the war in Ukraine began. They provide that the ambassadors will not be invited to national and other holidays, as well as representatives of the official institutions of the EU countries in events organized by the respective two countries.

The wording of the letter from the Ministry was: "when making such a decision, it should be taken into account...". It was signed by the permanent secretary of the MFA, not by the minister, "because that is how the information was requested - with a letter from the administration of The National Assembly, not by a parliamentary party, not by a deputy, and it is natural to be answered from an administrative and protocol point of view at the same level". "Of course, the minister is responsible for everything that comes out as a document from his ministry, so I stand behind it. I have been fully informed of what is coming out of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the caretaker minister said.

He also drew attention to the fact that there is an "element of reciprocity" in this case - "the Bulgarian ambassador in Moscow, as well as about 40 countries of countries that have been declared hostile, also do not receive invitations". In other words, the lack of an invitation to Eleonora Mitrofanova could hardly be interpreted as a "declaration of war", which was the interpretation made by the two-term minister of culture under Boyko Borissov, Vezhdi Rashidov.

As of today, the matter is closed:

"Today, the National Assembly ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue invitations without these two ambassadors," said Milkov.

Do we support Ukraine for NATO

"Yes, we support Ukraine's membership in NATO. We supported it back in 2008 in Bucharest. We supported it this year in Madrid. The question is exactly on what formula it will happen. It should be done by consensus" - commented Milkov in the context of comments after the refusal of the Bulgarian president to join the declaration on Ukraine of nine presidents from Central and Eastern Europe with the argument that joining NATO now means war between Russia and NATO.

Our embassy in Kyiv

“It cannot be said that our embassy in Kyiv is functioning normally” - admitted Milkov, after the Ukrainian capital was subjected to Russian strikes in recent days. However, he pointed out that our presence on the ground demonstrates solidarity, as expressed by all other EU member states.

The question of evacuation of the embassy still stands and the Ministry is working with the Bulgarian services.

"For the time being, all countries maintain their presence there, albeit in a very specific form," said the minister and specified what he meant:

"When the strikes occurred, our diplomats and their family members were supposed to spend two nights at the embassy. They only go out in pairs outside the embassy. At the moment, they spend all their time at the embassy, ​​except for the nights when they go back to their quarters."

"It is not a normal situation, but it is more important to demonstrate empathy in this way and to have the channels of communication between Bulgaria and Ukraine available not only in the direction from Ukraine to Bulgaria, but also vice versa through the functioning of our embassy there.

We have struggled to provide all assistance, any possible assistance to Ukraine within the framework that the previous parliament had set for us, and at the same time strive to preserve the unity of NATO member states and be able to approach this issue responsibly at the moment, in which he arises," he also said.

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