LAST UPDATE: 15:25
Outgoing Bulgarian Prime Minister Kirill Petkov rejected a Russian ultimatum to reverse a decision to expel 70 Russian diplomats by noon today and named the country’s finance minister as his potential successor.
The Balkan country, a member of the EU and Nato and once a close ally of Russia, has been in the midst of political turmoil in recent days, with Parliament passing a motion of no confidence in the coalition government last week and Petkov announcing Russian expulsions over concerns about espionage.
Russia retaliated by issuing an ultimatum on Thursday, which included a threat to close the Russian embassy if Sofia did not reverse the expulsions, a move which the EU today condemned as unjustified.
Petkov stated that Russia’s behavior is unacceptable. “We will not allow Bulgaria to take the wrong path … We will not allow foreign diplomats to give ultimatums to the Bulgarian state (to comply) until noon,” he said.
Announcing that his centrist PP party will nominate Finance Minister Asen Vassilev to become the country’s next prime minister, Petkov also called on his coalition partners to support the party’s effort to crack down on widespread corruption and work towards income enhancement.
The diplomatic spat with Russia has caused cracks in the government after one partner — the Socialists — said it would not support a new government led by Petkov.
The Socialists, traditionally friendlier to Moscow, said they were angered by Petkov’s decision to expel the Russians. Earlier today, they called on Parliament to vote to revoke the expulsions and save diplomatic relations with Moscow. The largest opposition party, the center-right GERB, said it was in favor of deportations.
Petkov hopes his party can stay in power and avoid new elections by nominating someone else for the post of prime minister. After the Vasilev proposal, the Socialists said they were ready for negotiations.
President Rumen Radev will later today give an exploratory mandate to the PP to form a new government. The party, which will have seven days to come up with detailed proposals, has said it will propose a new cabinet only if it garners an absolute majority in Parliament.
Russia’s ambassador to the country will request that the embassy be closed
Russia’s ambassador to Bulgaria said today that she will ask Moscow to close its embassy in the Balkan country after her appeal to Sofia to reverse its decision to expel 70 Russian diplomats was ignored.
In her statement to the Bulgarian people, Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova said that the closure of the Russian embassy will inevitably lead to the closure of the Bulgarian embassy in Moscow.
The Balkan country, a member of the EU and NATO and once a close ally of Russia, has been in the midst of political turmoil in recent days after outgoing Prime Minister Kirill Petkov announced the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats over espionage concerns.
The move was the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from Sofia in recent years and cut Moscow’s diplomatic presence in Bulgaria by less than half.
Mitrofanova described the expulsions as an “unprecedented hostile step” and yesterday asked Sofia to withdraw its decision by noon today. Otherwise, she said she would ask Moscow to consider terminating the physical presence of a Russian diplomatic mission in Bulgaria.
Petkov rejected her ultimatum earlier today.
“Unfortunately, our appeal to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry was ignored,” Mitrofanova said in a statement.
“I immediately intend to raise the question of the closure of the Russian embassy in Bulgaria to the leadership of my country, which will inevitably mean the closure of the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Moscow,” she added. Responsibility for any subsequent serious consequences lies with the outgoing Petkov government, Mitrofanova said.
About 60 people gathered in front of the Russian embassy in Sofia today to protest against the government’s decision to expel Russian diplomats. Supporters of Petkov are planning a demonstration on Sunday at Sofia airport, when the 70 Russian diplomats and their families are expected to leave the country.
SOURCE: APE-ME
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
