“Washington’s decision”: two Russian diplomats were expelled from Bulgaria
A diplomat of the Russian Embassy and an employee of the Trade Mission of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria were declared persona non grata.
The corresponding note was presented today to the Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria at the country's Foreign Ministry.
The Russian embassy in Bulgaria reported this on its Facebook page, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“No evidence was presented to confirm that they carried out activities incompatible with their status. Employees will leave the host country within the time limits specified in the notes. The Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures.
At the same time, we consider the decision of the Bulgarian authorities to disseminate this information in the public space before the official notification of the Embassy does not correspond to the traditionally constructive spirit of relations between our states,” the statement says.
Earlier, the Bulgarian prosecutor's office said that after receiving information from the national security agency, it conducted pre-trial proceedings against two Russian diplomats suspected of espionage, but due to the fact that they have the status of diplomatic immunity, the case was closed.
Political scientist Oleg Bondarenko believes that another provocation on the part of the Bulgarian authorities may indicate ongoing anti-Russian hysteria on the part of the current government of Boyko Borisov.
“This is a continuation of the policy to which Borisov has remained committed since his election as prime minister. In this regard, I remain a skeptic about the question of when and how Bulgaria will finally decide to join the Balkan branch of the Turkish Stream, build its section and deliver it.
Bulgaria is not a purely sovereign state. It depends too much on the decisions of the European Commission and on the tranches of various Western financial institutions that are controlled from Washington. In this regard, Bulgaria’s decision should be regarded as a decision by Washington, not Sofia,” Bondarenko told PolitNavigator.
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