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© Press Secretary of the Head of State
Hours after Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced that the Three Seas Initiative had “full support” and that the government had done absolutely everything for it, Dondukov 2 provided information to the media stating that the executive had requested a postponement. . from the Bulgarian house of the initiative days before the departure of President Rumen Radev to Estonia, where he received it on Monday.
Today, before the start of the Council of Ministers meeting, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced that he does not accept criticism that the government does not support the initiative and listed what has been done about it. He said that he had instructed the State National Security Agency and the State Intelligence Agency to verify who were the “benefactors” of Bulgaria, whom President Rumen Radev claimed had presented behind him in Tallinn a version of his contact with the infected. with Air Force coronavirus commander Major General Dimitar Petrov. Due to this information, his official visit to Estonia was interrupted. And the president’s second test, which came out today, was negative.
In a press release tonight from the press office of the head of state they state that the February 16 this year During his visit abroad, the Bulgarian Prime Minister deferred on the idea of establishing an Investment Fund within the framework of the “Three Seas” and stressed that Bulgaria was already carrying out important regional connectivity projects with its own money. The Prime Minister publicly disassociates himself from this position only at the end of August of this year after holding international meetings in Bled, says Dondukov 2. Earlier today, Borissov announced that our country is participating in the fund with 20 million euros.
A response from the press service of the Council of Ministers followed, announcing that Radev’s press office was making false suggestions and adding that the Prime Minister had not expressed a negative attitude towards the initiative in any of his public statements, but in the statement made by 26 of February emphasizes the activity of the Bulgarian state with real actions in the interest of “Three Seas”.
The Foreign Ministry said it wanted a postponement as the country holds parliamentary and presidential elections next year. (read below).
What does the presidency say?
The information released by Dondukov 2 states that June 23 A representative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) expressed reservations to a diplomat accredited in our country that Bulgaria could host the initiative in 2021, despite the declared wish of the presidential institution. The press office did not provide details about the case. They also point out that in the framework of a videoconference of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the “Three Seas” of June 30 this year, the Bulgarian representative affirms that the Bulgarian government considers it appropriate that our country does not accept the initiative in 2021.
“In 11 of September this year the head of state held a meeting in Dondukov 2 with the ambassadors in our country from the 12 countries participating in the initiative. At the meeting, the president presented his ideas to work on the Bulgarian house of “Three Seas” in 2021, which will be established as an instrument for social and economic cohesion in Europe. On the same day, in a meeting with diplomatic representatives, the Foreign Minister stressed that Bulgaria is ready to support the continuation of the Estonian home in 2021, for which Estonia has already stated its ambitions. The Minister of Foreign Affairs proposes to postpone the initiative of the Bulgarian family, “says Dondukov 2. Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria sent an opinion to remove a paragraph in a statement of the initiative about the Bulgarian family.
According to the press office of October 16 – three days before President Rumen Radev’s visit to Tallinn, the presidential institution received an email from a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stating that there is no change in the opinion of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is to postpone the Bulgarian household and extend Estonian in 2021
Sofia will host the meeting next year
“The resistance of the government against the Bulgarian host of the presidential initiative” Three Seas “in 2021 continues until the ceremony of handing over the flag of President Rumen Radev’s house in Tallinn. Since October 19 this year, Bulgaria has hosted the “Three Seas” initiative “with the support of the other participating countries,” the presidency said in a statement.
Thus, next year our country will host the summit of the presidents of the countries of the “Three Seas” initiative. It was established five years ago, uniting 12 European countries located between the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Seas. The objective is through joint projects that promote cooperation in infrastructure, digital and energy connectivity, to achieve sustainability and economic growth. Currently, the Bulgarian institutions have proposed four projects for the financing of the initiative: restoration of the design parameters of the Ruse-Varna railway line, construction of a tunnel under the Petrohan pass, expansion of gas storage in the town of Chiren and construction of the Black Sea Highway.
Radev called them mutri, but they will organize
An hour later, the Foreign Ministry sent clarifications indicating that a postponement of the house was requested, but this was due to the parliamentary and presidential elections next year and “in this tense situation, the executive would find it difficult to organize the events of this initiative” .
“Although Rumen Radev calls the legally elected Bulgarian government” Mutri “, he is ready to organize and occupy the presidency of” Three Seas “, whose face will be the Bulgarian president,” the statement said.
“The presidency includes not only a summit with heads of state, but a series of meetings in various ministerial and business formats, in which the policy of the member states to implement the main objectives – the connectivity of the regions between the North Seas , Black and Adriatic. of the President in this initiative is more of a facade, and the real work in it is carried out by the ministries, ”the announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Relations reads.
From there they specify that Ekaterina Zaharieva has been appointed national coordinator of the home; that 20 million euros have been allocated to the fund; and that a specially appointed ambassador for special assignments for “Three Seas” was sent to Tallinn with Radev.
“In conclusion, we draw attention to the fact that the national interest requires that institutions outside Bulgaria work in line with the country’s foreign policy objectives. Therefore, out of respect for the presidential institution, we will keep information on meetings of foreign ministers with the president and his team and what requests were placed on them, “the ministry said in a statement.
Read here and here about the President’s visit to Estonia.
