site.btaDeputy Foreign Minister Says No Combat Aircraft Fly Over

"No combat aircraft are flying over Bulgaria, and no combat aircraft involved in military operations are being refueled over Bulgaria," said Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raykov during a briefing at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

Raykov stressed that there are no grounds for increased concern among Bulgarian citizens due to the aircraft that are part of NATO’s forward deployment at Sofia Airport. He said that Bulgaria maintains intact diplomatic relations with Iran and that there has been no downgrade in the level of these relations. According to him, communication with the Iranian side continues in a natural manner, in line with the specific international situation.

"Iran has been informed that Bulgaria is not at war and is not about to join any military action ," Raykov noted. He added that in such a hypothetical situation, a decision by the National Assembly would be required, which is not being considered.

The Deputy Minister also said that, unlike other countries, including some neighboring states, the Bulgarian Parliament has not approved any decision to support military actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

"The aircraft currently in Bulgaria are part of NATO’s forward deployment, and the alliance itself is not at war at the moment," Raykov also said.

"This note is a fact, but it should not be viewed as a reason for heightened concern regarding the possibility of our country being drawn into situations that could be used to exploit the fears of Bulgarian citizens," Raykov added.

At an extraordinary parliamentary sitting on Wednesday, There Is Such a People showed a note served by Iran on Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated March 18 concerning US tanker aircraft at Sofia Airport.