Both sides in Egypt should compromise so that the democratic political processcan be restored
20 August 2013 News
“The situation in Egypt is too complex to be able to say that only one or the other side is guilty. To restore the democratic political process, both parties will have to make compromises in order to sit at the same table. Otherwise, there will be more victims, which is unacceptable,” Minister Kristian Vigenin said in an interview with the morning programme of Bulgarian National Television. Bulgaria is not taking sides, and expects the political forces in Egypt to do what it takes to overcome the divisions, he said.
The upcoming special meeting ofEuropean Union foreign ministers on Wednesday that will be dedicated to the events in Egypt will involve a serious discussion about where the country is going and what measures can be taken to return it to the democratic path of development. Among the ideas discussedup to now are, among others, an arms embargo or suspension of arms suppliesand freezing of financial assistance from the EU.
“We do not support the freezing of financial support, because such a step would not solve this problem now and in the future would affect the citizens of Egypt,” Minister Vigeninsaid. He said that it was essential to carry out a thorough assessment of how this funding was used before now to support the democratic process and whether there should be a shift of resources in some instruments.
“It is not just a matter of principle we must protect. The future of the citizens of Egyptmust be guaranteed. To move forward, the country must proceed with two things - one is to strengthen democracy and the other, economic development and the solution of socio-economic problems,” the Foreign Ministersaid.
The warning from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs against plans to travel to Egypt remains in force. "The State of Emergency is still a fact. Refrain from travelingthere, but if doing so is necessary, register before your departure on the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs or make a phone call to our staff at the embassy in Cairo to let them know how they can contact you, if necessary,” the Foreign Ministerurged.
Kristian Vigenin said that it was not expected that events in Egypt would lead to a refugee wave that extended to Bulgaria. However, the risk is always there and we must be readyfor it. “Since last year, there is a growing number of people seeking asylum in Bulgaria. During the first half of this year there were more than in all of 2012,” he said. The capacity of our country has been exhausted, which necessitates the need to take appropriate measures to resolve the problem.
In terms of the domestic political situation in Bulgaria, Kristian Vigenin said that he did not expect early elections in the autumn. “Let's see how the government fulfills its commitments to report each month. If there is no incitement of tension, things will calm down. This will allow us to focus on your work. The government and I personally will make every effort to do so, to show the citizens that we are working in their interests,” he insisted.