Bulgaria contributed with its constructive position on Ukraine to the consensus in the Foreign Affairs Council
17 March 2014 News
Bulgaria contributed with its constructive position on Ukraine to the consensus in the Foreign Affairs Council, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristian Vigenin after the completion of today’s FAC in Brussels. The Council focused mainly on the situation in Ukraine and the referendum on the future status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister identified as unsubstantiated any attempts to liken the country to "hawk" or "Trojan horse" in the EU.
The Council of EU foreign ministers condemned the holding on 16 March of an illegal "referendum" in Crimea which is in clear breach of the Ukrainian Constitution. The EU also urged Russia not to take further steps towards annexingCrimea and to work for de-escalation and dialogue with Ukraine.
Minister Vigenin announced that the political provisions of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine will be signed at the upcoming on 20-21 March European Council, and the economic provisions of the document will be signed after the presidential elections in the country in May.
FAC, according to the statement of the EU Heads of State or Government of 6 March, decided to implement the second part of the restrictive measures and imposed travel restrictions and an asset freeze against certain persons from Crimea and Russia that undermine the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"The list of these individuals is possible and necessary compromise," said the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs. He added that the EU remains ready to support facilitating dialogue and using the tools of diplomacy with the hope that a more moderate approach will give positive results.
The ministers also endorsed today the deployment of an OSCE Mission throughout Ukraine in order to determine on the spot whether there are concerns about the rights of minorities and to ensure their protection.