MFA: Acts of vandalism involving Nazi symbols have no place in this country
22 April 2019 News
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses outrage with the meeting of members of far-right organizations from Bulgaria and other countries that took place in Sofia on April 21 of this year.
The obituaries and posters commemorating Adolf Hitler placed on public display in different cities across the land, as well as the vandalizing of monuments and public buildings with Nazi symbols, are seen as a flagrant provocation and affront to the moral code of Bulgarian society and the history of the Bulgarian State. Once again we condemn, in the strongest terms possible, any such acts that actively transmit xenophobic, anti-Semitic and racist messages. Such manifestations of cynicism have no place in this country and do not reflect the system of values of the Bulgarian people, who have always stood up to fanaticism and extremism in any form whatsoever. The profession of an ideology of hatred, in any and all of its manifestations, must be prosecuted with the full force of the law. This is a joint commitment of the entire Government of Bulgaria and the competent institutions, to which the MFA has contributed, is contributing and will continue to contribute its utmost efforts in order to counteract any and all forms of anti-Semitism, xenophobia, racism and hate speech, both within this country and through active cooperation in the framework of European and global processes.
On the eve of one of the most sacred Christian holidays, we appeal to all parties concerned for the protection of basic European values such as respect for human dignity, individual freedom and human rights. The beauty of the Bulgarian people stems from its diversity - cultural, religious and ethnic, preserved over the centuries of its existence; it is therefore imperative that nothing and no one should be allowed to tarnish and destroy that. No acts or manifestations aimed at promoting hatred and intolerance shall be considered compatible with our understanding of civility and democracy in any given society.
The Bulgarian Government will continue to provide enabling conditions for a ‘social environment free of any manifestations of discrimination, including through its collaborative work with international organizations such as the EU, the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the UN, for undertaking joint steps for counteracting such negative phenomena and for the purpose of promoting mutual respect, understanding and tolerance.
The MFA expresses its strong support for the work of the competent law enforcement bodies and hopes that those responsible for the dissemination and manifestation of an ideology of hatred will be identified in due course and punished to the full extent of Bulgarian law.
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