site.btaForeign Ministry: Decision on Allowing Russia to Operate Consulate General in Varna Will Follow Procedures


After an inquiry made by BTA on whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received a request from Russia to open a Consulate General in Varna, on the Black Sea, the Ministry reported on Tuesday that a decision on granting permission to use a building, at the request of the Russian Federation, will be taken in accordance with the established procedures for coordination between the competent Bulgarian institutions and in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Earlier Tuesday, Democrats for Strong Bulgaria said they had received information that the Russian Federation, through a diplomatic note sent by its Embassy in Sofia to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had requested permission—under the formal pretext of a reciprocity procedure—to open a Consulate General in Varna.
The Consulate General of Russia in Varna has not been closed, and therefore no procedure for its opening is underway, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specified. At present, the Consulate General of Russia in Varna does not have a building in which to carry out its activities. The Bulgarian side has not taken a decision on granting permission regarding the type and exact location of the consular representation that could be used by Russia to carry out this type of diplomatic activity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
In late February, Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said that Bulgarian institutions had not been approached for a consent as required for a reactivation of the Russian Consulate General in Varna. In March, Georgiev reported that the Russian Federation has 22 diplomatic and 22 administrative-technical staff in Bulgaria.
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