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Bulgaria may play major role in defusing Ukraine crisis

Bulgarian Speaker Mikhail Mikov expressed concern about the developments in Ukraine and about the way radicals are practically breaking the country apart

Independence Square in Kiev ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Pochuev/Archive

Independence Square in Kiev

© ITAR-TASS/Mikhail Pochuev/Archive

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SOFIA, May 08. /ITAR-TASS/. Bulgaria may play a major role in deescalation of the situation in Ukraine as well as in normalization of relations between Russia and the European Union, as well as Russia-NATO ties, the head of Russia’s Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Konstantin Kosachev said after talks with Bulgarian Speaker Mikhail Mikov.

“We discussed the situation around Ukraine, the position of the EU and Bulgaria’s stance. I must say that the parliament speaker expressed concern about the developments in Ukraine and about the way radicals are practically breaking the country apart after coming to power,” the head of Rossotrudnichestvo told ITAR-TASS.

Speaker Mihail Mikov “was referring to alarming emotions coming from the Bulgarian minority in Ukraine and expressed concern over the fact that the EU was moving towards contributing to the tension and trying to tighten sanctions against Russia”.

He quoted Mikov as saying that “this is at variance with the interests of the European Union and the interests of Russian-Bulgarian cooperation”.

“If this point of view prevails, Bulgaria may become a very important element inside the EU, inside NATO, be an element of deescalation of the situation in Ukraine, normalization of Russia-EU and Russia-NATO ties that everybody seems to wish, but that is late in coming,” the head of Rossotrudnichestvo said.

He voiced Russia’s point of view on the development of the situation, which had been “exploded by Ukrainian radicals’ takeover in Kiev”. “It seemed to me that our point of view was met with understanding, although he (Mikov) did not express his point of view on the developments,” Kosachev added.

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