The Executive Director of the State Fund "Agriculture," Kalina Ilieva, is pregnant and will need a substitute for the important post, Bulgarian media report. Photo by BGNES
Bulgaria's Minister of Agriculture, Miroslav Naydenov, admitted publically he was unaware the Executive Director of the State Fund "Agriculture," Kalina Ilieva, is pregnant.
The Fund is the Bulgarian payment agency for the EU SAPARD program.
Naydenov says he learned Ilieva is expecting from media publications, but added this was a very personal matter and he respected her decision and her right of privacy.
A possible substitute at the crucial position has not yet been discussed and the Fund's Managing Board will be meeting Thursday. In addition to deciding on a new, temporary head, the Board will discuss how to address farmers' protests, claiming Ilieva has delayed payments to them.
The most likely substitute is one of the Executive Director's Deputies, but there is a possibility she will be replaced permanently.
Naydenov says farming subsidies have been paid 100%, a month and a half before the deadline.