Bulgaria No Soviet Republic, Foreign Minister Thinks

Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Mladenov (R) is seen meeting US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, June 2010.

Bulgaria is a state based on the rule of law and cannot afford to favor certain investors, no matter whether Russian or from elsewhere, said Bulgarian foreign affairs minister Nikolay Mladenov in an interview for Bulgarian Nova TV Sunday evening.

“If in the minds of [former energy ministers] Rumen Ovcharov and Petar Dimitrov Bulgaria is some Soviet republic in which a clique of overlords can do whatever they wish, then they are deeply wrong,” said Mladenov, referring to earlier criticisms on the part of former Socialist ministers on the negative stance voiced recently by the Bulgarian cabinet over energy projects involving Russia.

“Laws must be the same for all investors, foreign and domestic,” added Mladenov, specifying that relations with investors are always multi-dimensional.

The Bulgarian foreign minister further elaborated that all energy projects must answer two questions: the extent to which they diversify energy sources, and the level of security of deliveries.

“As long as I occupy the position of foreign minister, I will not allow Bulgaria's relations with any other country to become single-topic relations,” stated Mladenov. He added that there are many more dimensions to Bulgarian relations with Russia than just energy topics.

Mladenov also expressed support of a more assertive role of Bulgaria in the international scene that should put to end the sometimes paternalistic stance of other countries and the EU.

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