Foreign Ministry seeks opportunities for safe departure of Bulgarian citizens from Syria

Opportunities are being sought for safe departure from Syria by Bulgarian citizens who have expressed their wish, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said. The ministry added that it continues to monitor with caution the developments in the situation in the country.

In connection with the ongoing complicated security situation in Syria and the occurrence of mass disturbances, the Foreign Ministry urged Bulgarian citizens residing in the country to avoid public places and not to leave their homes if possible.

The MFA also reported that 15 Bulgarian citizens and their family members have requested assistance to leave Syria.

We call on everyone to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, a European Commission spokesperson said today at a press conference in response to questions about the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. It is too early to say what the consequences could be in the area of migration and security, he said, noting that these issues will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on 16 December.

The spokespesron noted that the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a former branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria that led to the fall of Assad, has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation and the EU does not foresee contacts with its representatives for the time being.