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News From Bulgaria - Press Release Apr 03, 96
From: bulgaria@access1.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria)
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.
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington wishes to
draw your attention to the following recent statements of Bulgarian
officials:
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.
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