site.btaGERB Backed DB Call for NATO Consultations after Black Sea Attack, Pressed for Aggressor to Be Identified, Borissov Says

GERB supported a Democratic Bulgaria (DB) declaration seeking consultations with NATO allies following the drone attacks on vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea and pressed strongly for the aggressor to be identified, GERB leader Boyko Borissov told reporters in Petrich on Thursday. He commented on Wednesday’s meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) which discussed the current risks and threats to Bulgaria’s maritime security and critical Infrastructure in the context of the war in Ukraine.

"DB submitted a declaration and asked for a vote. I was the first to support it, followed by representatives of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DB and Continue the Change. But it was not adopted by the Council," Borissov said.

He called on President Iliana Iotova to declassify part of the transcript from the CCNS meeting, saying that comments made by political leaders afterward did not reflect what had happened during the meeting.

"Stanislav Anastasov of MRF, Ivaylo Mirchev of DB, Nikolay Denkov of CC and I insisted unequivocally that Russia be identified as the aggressor in Ukraine and that this is not a war between equal sides, because one side was attacked. My statement was the strongest," Borissov said.

He said he had initially refrained from commenting publicly because he had expected party leaders to present selectively what had been discussed at the meeting for campaign purposes.

"I told them inside that Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov would be the first to go out and speak to the media, and that afterward everyone would retell the part of the discussion that suited their election campaign. And that is exactly what happened," Borissov said.

Borissov said expert examinations of the ships attacked in the Black Sea should be carried out urgently to determine where the strikes came from. He said Bulgaria has specialists at the Naval Academy who could help establish the circumstances. "I can guarantee that as long as Balkan Stream is operating, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not strike Bulgaria. That I can guarantee. I hope I am right," Borissov said.

He also warned about the vulnerability of the Vertical Gas Corridor running from Greece through Bulgaria to Ukraine and said the Government should pay attention to protecting that infrastructure.