site.btaPrime Minister Refuses to Comment on President’s “Plovdiv Tales” about Firefighting Aircraft Shortage

While on an official visit to Moldova, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told journalists in the capital Chisinau on Monday that he refuses to discuss President Rumen Radev’s criticism regarding the shortage of aerial firefighting equipment in Bulgaria, where severe wildfires have been raging for days in many areas. “I will not comment on Plovdiv tales from Chisinau,” the Prime Minister said.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second most populous city, was where Radev bashed the government on Sunday for failing to secure enough aircraft in time to combat this summer’s fires. At Plovdiv Airport, welcoming a Hungarian helicopter sent over to assist the fire extinguishing efforts in Bulgaria, the President noted that last year Parliament passed a resolution obliging the Council of Ministers to purchase specialized aircraft for firefighting. "Since then, there has been indifference, procrastination, and a 'let's hope it passes' attitude," he said.

Zhelyazkov now said from Chisinau: “The situation is tense, and I am in constant communication with the taskforce. Updates about the situation are given only and exclusively by the taskforce, as per my instructions. I will not comment from the Republic of Moldova on any other information, misinformation, comments or political manoeuvring.”