site.btaVice President Iotova: Serious Work Awaits Cabinet after Rotation to Affirm Bulgaria's Name in Foreign Policy

Serious work awaits the Government after the rotation in March to affirm Bulgaria's name in the field of foreign policy, Vice President Iliana Iotova told journalists here on Wednesday. According to her, that is why the dispute between GERB-UDF and Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) over the next foreign minister is very serious. 

During the regular government of CC co-leader Kiril Petkov (2021-2022), there was an attempt at two foreign policies, Iotova said, recalling that there were scandals between the then prime minister and the foreign minister. "Let us not end up in the other extreme - having a personal foreign policy now," she commented.

According to her, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov made a blunder in his statement that he wants the Foreign Ministry to be headed by a CC-DB representative because he wants CC-DB's voice to be heard abroad.

Iotova expressed approval of Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel's work. "I am familiar with her work as a MEP and European Commissioner - she is a good foreign minister," the Vice President said, specifying that this is her personal opinion. If Gabriel becomes prime minister after the rotation, she should monitor this field, Iotova argued. According to her, Bulgaria needs a very serious individual as foreign minister who has their contacts in Europe. "Bulgaria needs to be supported in its initiatives, because I have the feeling that, unfortunately, we are becoming an ever more peripheral country," she said.

Iotova went on to say that several very important tasks await the State and society by the end of 2024. The full cycle of Schengen entry needs to be completed. There has been no preparation for Bulgaria joining the eurozone and no information campaign among the citizens. A new report on the rule of law in Bulgaria is coming, and it is not good for Bulgaria to return to where it was years ago, the Vice President said.

She was in Suhindol to participate in the marking of the Day of Suhindol and Vine-growers' Day.