23.03.2018
The purpose of the meeting in Varna between EU and Turkish leaders is to guarantee the Union's external border - to confirm the second payment of the agreement and that the 3.5 million migrants remain in Turkey. This is what Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said in front of journalists in Brussels after the meeting of the European Council today. He pointed out that at the last working session all countries have declared willingness to continue the dialogue. “A very difficult meeting is to be expected, because relations are extremely aggravated. This presents a tremendous responsibility for Bulgaria - it is a great manifestation of trust and at the same time there are many expectations,” the Prime Minister said and added that there is also a growing tension due to the conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.
We have very few open channels of communication and I wish that we acted more reasonably and responsibly, Borissov said. He described the current times as “more difficult than the Cold War” when there were clear dividing lines and two global players. “I am not optimistic at the moment for the peaceful development of the world. A time when diplomats are widely recalled will hardly bring more peace, calmness, and understanding,” the Bulgarian Prime Minister explained. Borissov pointed out that at the European Council meeting he had asked for evidence, beyond the wording of the British Prime Minister Teresa May – “a high probability” - that Moskow is behind the Skripal case. “We all believe in the United Kingdom, but I also expressed my position, recalling the accusations against Saddam Hussein about the use of chemical weapons - Tony Blair apologized later, but it was already too late,” Borissov said. According to him, the decision of European leaders to withdraw the EU ambassador to the Russian Federation for consultations shows that, despite Brexit, the UK and the European Union are one, inextricably linked, mutually supportive and protective.
