Bulgaria Foreign Minister to Report Progress on Burgas Attack Probe in Brussels

Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov is to present results of the investigation of the Burgas bus bombing during the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday. Photo by BGNES

Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov is to present results of the investigation of the Burgas bus bombing during the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Monday.

According to diplomatic sources, as cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency, EU ministers of foreign affairs are not expected to come up with a decision on adding Hezbollah to the EU's common list of terrorist organizations.

On February 5, Bulgarian Interior Minister presented results of the probe into the terror attack at the Sarafovo airport, stating that there was a "reasonable assumption" that the militant wing of Hezbollah was involved in the bombing.

It is believed that the EU Foreign Affairs Council lacks the necessary unanimity on the issue of blacklisting Hezbollah.

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister is not expected to propose any concrete measures or penalties.

Only two EU countries currently label Hezbollah a terrorist organization—the UK and the Netherlands. The UK blacklists only the military wing of the Shiite organization.

Bulgaria's choice of whether to name Hezbollah as standing behind the Burgas bus bombing has been seen as pivotal as to whether the bloc will officially label Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Israel has thrown the blame on Hezbollah right after the July 18, 2012 attack, a move followed later by the US.

The remaining topics on the agenda of the February 18 sitting include discussions on the situation in Syria, Mali, Iraq, and North Korea.

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