Bulgaria's Top Diplomat: GERB Did Not Sell Weapons to Libya

Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, says the cabinet is ready to evacuate more Bulgarian citizens from Tripoli, including those from the Embassy. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, says he never obtained information the cabinet of his ruling, center-right GERB party had sold ammunitions to Libya in 2009.

Mladenov made the statement Wednesday morning in a phone interview for the private TV channel bTV.

The Minister spoke in the aftermath of a publication of the British Guardian focusing on weapons deals between Libya and EU Member States and on how much profit the EU has made from armament now used to kill demonstrators in Libya.

According to the investigative report, Bulgaria has sold in 2009 ammunitions and detonators to the Muammar Gaddafi's regime in the amount close to EUR 4 M.

In 2009 Bulgaria had two cabinets – until July, the Three Way Coalition led by Socialist, Sergey Stanishev and then the one of the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov. In the first months of the new government, Mladenov was appointed Defense Minister.

Bulgaria's now top diplomat pointed out that there is evidence other countries have sold way more weapons and ammunitions to Gaddafi. According to The Guardian, the record-holder is Italy with EUR 276.7 M between 2004 and 2009.

Mladenov further informs that currently NATO is not discussing military actions in Libya, adding the situation there is very complex and requires more a of a humanitarian than military intervention.

The Minister explained it is possible for the government Airbus to make another flight to Tripoli to evacuate more Bulgarian citizens, saying there is also a plan to evacuate the diplomatic mission if necessary.

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