A scandal has erupted in Bulgaria over the UN resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica, after media outlets published the correspondence between Acting Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dimitar Glavchev and Bulgaria’s representative to the UN, Lychezar Stoev.
The exchanged messages reveal that the Prime Minister instructed the diplomat to abstain from voting on the resolution.
The request came from the Prime Minister just before the vote on May 23, in which Glavchev emphasized that the initiative increases tensions globally and in the Balkans. However, the diplomat refused to comply with the order, explaining that Bulgaria is a co-author of the document. Bulgaria was among the 84 countries that voted in favor.
The government later stated that the leaked correspondence is only part of the decision-making process and does not reflect the complete picture.
Such an incident only creates “room for speculation, interpretations, and manipulations on the topic,” the government said in a statement.
Bulgarian media reported that former Prime Minister and leader of the largest political force, GERB, Boyko Borisov, “had excellent relations” with Serbia President Aleksandar Vučić.
The coalition “We Continue the Change” and “Democratic Bulgaria” accused their main rival GERB of attempting to influence Bulgaria’s position at the UN and supporting a pro-Russian stance. They demanded that Glavchev be summoned to parliament to provide explanations. The Prime Minister is a former GERB MP.
“The Acting Prime Minister, who unfailingly follows the instructions of Borisov and Peevski (Deljan Peevski is the leader of the parliamentary group ‘Movement for Rights and Freedoms’), does not have the mandate to change Bulgaria’s foreign policy orientation and support pro-Russian foreign policy at the UN,” the coalition stated.
GERB rejected the accusations of attempting such influence.
“GERB does not interfere in the work of the technical government and has nothing to do with the scandal regarding Bulgaria’s stance on the UN resolution on Srebrenica,” said GERB MP Daniel Mitov.
Source: Glas Srpske
