site.btaUPDATED Caretaker Foreign Minister Neynsky Holds Phone Conversations with Israeli, Jordanian, Kuwaiti Counterparts

Caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky held a phone conversation with Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on its official Facebook page on Sunday. Later in the day, the Ministry's press service said that she has also talked with her counterparts from Kuwaiti and Jordanian - Jarrah Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah and Ayman Safadi.

Israel

During the conversation, the current situation in the Middle East region was reviewed. Minister Sa’ar assured Neynsky that the Israeli government stands ready to assist, if necessary, with the return to Bulgaria of Bulgarian citizens staying in Israel on a short-term basis, the Foreign Ministry added.

On Saturday morning, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Israel and the United States were jointly carrying out strikes against Iran. In response, Iran launched a missile attack against the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

The Israeli and US operation in Iran triggered a multi-vector Iranian response that also affected countries not directly involved in the confrontation, including Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq.

Kuwait

Neynsky expressed full solidarity with Kuwait and the Kuwaiti people in connection with the Iranian attacks against targets in the country, which constitute a serious violation of Kuwait’s sovereignty. For his part, al-Sabah declared his full commitment to the security of Bulgarian citizens on the territory of Kuwait, as well as his readiness to provide assistance in the event of an escalation of tensions.

Jordan

In her conversation with Ayman Safadi, the Bulgarian caretaker Foreign Minister expressed solidarity with the Jordanian side during the current critical period for the region. The two shared the view that Iran should cease its strikes against neighbouring countries and work towards de-escalation. They also stressed that the present crisis should not divert attention from the situation in Gaza and the implementation of the second phase of the comprehensive plan for ending the conflict in Gaza.