Foreign Ministry seeks clarification on the remarks of the Russian Foreign Minister
22 May 2015 News
On May 21, 2015 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Valentin Poriazov invited to a meeting at the Foreign Ministry Chargé d’Affaires a. i. of the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Sofia, Mr. Alexander Shapel (Ambassador Isakov is out of the country). A clarification was requested from the Russian side on the remarks of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivered before the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and referring to Bulgaria in the context of scenarios for destabilization of the Republic of Macedonia. Deputy Minister Poriazov reaffirmed Bulgaria’s position in support of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Macedonia. He emphasized that the suggestions of any nature for the participation of Bulgaria in the scenario of destabilization of the Republic of Macedonia are utterly unacceptable.
The Russian representative emphasized that Minister Lavrov’s statement did not referred to the participation of Bulgarian officials in talks of possible partitioning of the Republic of Macedonia. The statement was not addressing the official Bulgarian position, but ideas circulated in the media, including Bulgarian. The Bulgarian side accepted the clarification. At the same time, he pointed that the official statement of the Russian Foreign Minister did not imply such distinction, which required a categorical Bulgarian reaction. The stability in the Western Balkans is of a paramount importance to our national security and we cannot afford any ambiguity on this issue.
The Bulgarian side underscored that the crisis in the Republic of Macedonia is of a political nature and should not allow any suggestions of an ethnic conflict.
Both sides agreed that the political crisis in the Republic of Macedonia should be resolved in the shortest possible time frames and they expressed views on the mechanisms that can be applied to achieve this goal.