News From Bulgaria - Press Release Apr 03, 96

From: bulgaria@access1.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria)

Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory

EMBASSY OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.

PRESS RELEASE

April 2 and 3, 1996

Ref.: statements of Russian President Boris Yeltsin on March 29, that Bulgaria could join the new union among Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

PRESIDENT ZHELEV, in a national radio and television address on March 30: The Bulgarian President said that these are "issues, which have never been considered by the official Bulgarian state institutions and will never be accepted by the Bulgarian people."

GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN in a declaration on March 31 firmly dismissed allegations that any such issues have been discussed in secret talks by the Government and said that "The Bulgarian Government has been operating and implementing its policy consistently and in full transparency. There have been no talks at any stage or level, which could give grounds to claim secrecy." "Integration in the European Union is a key priority of Bulgaria's foreign policy on which there is a wide consensus among all political forces”, he added. The Cabinet spokesman also specified that the Government has been consistently developing the relations with Russia and the other CIS states on the basis of equality, respect of sovereignty and of mutual interests.

PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN SENDOV: in a press conference, April 1: "Bulgaria's international behaviour, including its intensive dialogue with Russia on different levels, parliamentary level included, has not so far given even the slightest grounds to believe that this country has any intention of joining international groupings, which seek to restore a community to which Bulgaria never belonged". "The specified statements cannot call into question Bulgaria's key and irreversible European orientation... Bulgaria's priority task in its foreign policy (is) full membership in the European Union and joining the other European and Euro-Atlantic structures." the Chairman of the Parliament said.

FOREIGN MINISTER PIRINSKI, April 2: President Yeltsin's statement that Bulgaria too could join the new union "is not an invitation but an assumption for which there are no objective grounds whatsoever", Pirinski said. He said the statement was a cause for concern because Bulgaria and its Government are pursuing a policy aimed to intensify bilateral relations with Russia in all spheres, on the basis of equality; cooperation on a multilateral basis has never been a subject for discussion.

Pirinski reiterated the Government's statement on Sunday that at no stage and on no level have there been backstage talks with Russia.