site.btaBulgaria Calls for Handling Frozen Russian Assets in Compliance with EU and International Law

Bulgaria, together with Belgium, Italy, and Malta, presented a joint declaration to the Council of the European Union in which the four countries insist that any decision on the use of frozen Russian assets must be in full compliance with EU and international law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told BTA on Friday.

The Ministry specified that compliance with the legal framework is cited as a key condition for the legitimacy and sustainability of such measures.

The four countries call for continued discussions on alternative options for predictable and reliable financial support for Ukraine that minimize legal and institutional risks.

On Tuesday, the EU indefinitely froze Russia's assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both being run by governments that are friendly with the Kremlin, cannot prevent the billions of euro from being used to support Ukraine, as reported by the AP, Reuters and dpa. Using a special procedure meant for economic emergencies, the EU blocked the assets, until Russia gives up its war on Ukraine and compensates its neighbour for the damage it has suffered because of the war.