site.btaDeputy PM Zafirov Should Resign if Prime Minister Did Not Know about His China Visit, Says Opposition Leader Vassilev

Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Atanas Zafirov should resign as Deputy Prime Minister if Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov did not know about his visit to China, Continue the Change Chair Assen Vassilev told journalists in the National Assembly on Thursday.

From statements which PM Zhelyazkov and GERB leader Boyko Borissov made earlier in the day, it transpired that they have no intention of taking any measures against Zafirov’s visit to China and it remains unclear whether it was an official state visit or not, added Vassilev.  

Commenting on Borissov’s remark that he is experienced and therefore did not send a GERB representative to China, Vassilev said that it was precisely this “experience” that kept Bulgaria outside Schengen for 15 years.  

“Bulgaria is in the EU, in NATO, with clear allies and a clear doctrine, and cannot take actions that are not aligned with its national interest and coordinated with the Foreign Ministry and the allies with whom we share a common union. Such actions significantly undermine trust in our country and hinder Bulgaria from becoming a wealthy state,” Vassilev added. 

He emphasized that Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria expect the Government to clarify whether the delegates visited China as Government officials or not, whether the PM and Borissov knew about the trip or not, and why Borissov had received an invitation to the event. When asked whether he himself had received an invitation, Vassilev replied he had not.

He confirmed that he had worked with China and had sold Bulgarian technology he developed to a Chinese company, but at that time he represented a company and himself, not the Bulgarian State, and not as deputy prime minister like Zafirov.