Bulgarian Deputy Agriculture Minister Calls it Quits

Now former Bulgarian Deputy Agriculture Minister, Georgi Kostov, pictured in the mountain village of Oreshak during the traditional celebrations of local plum rakiya – traditional Bulgarian brandy. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Deputy Agriculture Minister, Georgi Kostov, has resigned from his post Thursday.

The information has been announced by the cabinet's press center.

Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has already accepted the resignation.

In his motives, Kostov points out that he could no longer handle two jobs – one as Deputy Minister and another one as Head of the Bulgarian National Agrarian Academy. He has chosen to continue to lead the Academy in order to ensure the implementation of the much needed reforms there.

The Deputy of Agriculture Minister, Miroslav Naydenov, headed the Academy back at the end of June when Borisov fired its then Director, Svetla Bachvarova, after the National Audit Office reported violations at the institution.

One day after Bachvarova's dismissal, scores of employees of the Academy staged a protest in front of the Agriculture Ministry building. The Director of the Horticulture Institute even said that Kostov had always worked against the interests of the Academy and participants of the rally demanded that the post is offered to someone else.

Currently there are no plans to replace Kostov and his Deputy Minister post is, most likely, to be closed.

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