Bulgaria's Top Diplomat Heads for Capital of Libyan Rebels

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Mladenov is heading to the Libyan rebel capital Benghazi. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov is on a one-day visit to Benghazi, the capital of the Libyan rebels fighting against dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Mladenov will meet with members of the National Transitional Council of the Libyan opposition, which has the functions of a rebel government as a NATO-led international coalition is carrying out military strikes against the Gaddafi regime.

During his visit in Benghazi, Bulgaria's top diplomat will donate medicines to a local hospital on behalf of the Bulgarian.

It is still unclear if Mladenov's visit in Benghazi is an indication that Bulgaria will grant diplomatic recognition to the Libyan rebels, which has already been recognized by 18 nations, including the big EU states and the USA.

Back in March 2011, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said his Cabinet would not recognize the government of the Libyan rebels because some of its officials took part in the torture of the Bulgarian nurses and doctor jailed by the Gaddafi regime in 1999-2007, and twice sentenced to death before they were brought back to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry recently indicated that it intends to restore the Bulgarian consulate in Benghazi by sending one diplomat there.

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