site.btaOpposition Attacks Power-Holders over Perceived Divergence between President and Foreign Ministry on UN Position on Ukraine

The opposition Democratic Bulgaria party has attacked the power-holders over a perceived divergence between the President and the Foreign Ministry on the UN statement on Ukraine.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, have said that Bulgaria has joined the UN statement on Ukraine. President Iliana Iotova says that Bulgaria has not joined it. This situation is absurd; two institutions in Bulgaria cannot put forward contradictory statements on what exactly the country's position on this issue is," Democratic Bulgaria Floor Leader Nadejda Iordanova told journalists in the parliamentary lobby on Friday, as quoted by the party.

Earlier in the day, the ruling Progressive Bulgaria party rejected on two consecutive votes a proposal by Democratic Bulgaria to include on the agenda a hearing of the Foreign Minister or the relevant Deputy Foreign Minister regarding the situation.

According to Democratic Bulgaria, this divergence "tarnishes Bulgaria's name". "We will insist that it be clarified whether President Iotova believes that Kaja Kallas is lying," Iordanova added, describing the situation as "a major scandal and a disgrace for our country".

"Everyone involved in this scandal, everyone who created this scandal, knows very well how documents of this kind are coordinated," Iordanova said, explaining the procedure. The initiator of a declaration seeks the support of the countries willing to endorse it, a process of discussing the text begins, and the final version is sent out. A country that does not wish to support the document must make an explicit statement to that effect.

"Clearly, Bulgaria has not made such a statement. So here they are trying to hide the answer to the big question - where does Bulgaria stand on this issue? - behind procedural arguments," Iordanova said.