Bulgarian PM Strikes Back at President over Diplomatic Row

Bulgarian PM, Boyko Borisov, says his predecessor and the President are brazen in their reaction to the diplomatic scandal raging in the country and abroad. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, declared Friday the full responsibility for sending collaborators and agents of the former Communist State security as diplomats abroad belongs to the previous cabinet and to President, Georgi Parvanov.

Borisov spoke from Brussels where he is attending the summit of the EU leaders, saying he did not recall Ambassadors appointed by the Socialist-led government and by Parvanov in order to avoid a huge scandal.

The PM's word came as response to earlier statements of the President, who revealed Borisov knew that there were about 10 Ambassadors with Communist secret services ties even before winning the elections.

"These people are insolent. For four years, they refused to pass the law, well-knowing what will happen to Bulgarian diplomacy. Then they hired their own people as Ambassadors right before the end of their term. I want to remind we strongly opposed this during our election campaign. When we took office they were already there, working at our diplomatic missions. We were facing accusations of political purge," Borisov pointed out.

On July 9, 2009, at its last session ever, the outgoing government of the Three-Way Coalition of Prime Minister, Socialist leader, Sergey Stanishev, appointed new Bulgarian Ambassadors to Japan, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Morocco, and new General Consuls in New York, Chicago, Milan, Thessalon?ki, and Edirne (Adrianople).

Borisov further pointed out there is a difference between someone working at the current Bulgarian intelligence and secret services with ties to the Communist ones and being a diplomat, representing the country abroad.

The PM confirmed his readiness to release his Minister without portfolio for Bulgarians Abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, who is also a former Communist security agent, but declined saying what he plans to do in case Parvanov refuses to recall the discredited diplomats.

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