Parliament adopts at second reading the agreement between Bulgaria and Ukraine on provision of military support

With 166 votes in favour and 48 against, Bulgaria’s Parliament on December 16 adopted the agreement between Bulgaria and Ukraine on the provision of military and technical support.

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP for Bulgaria) and “Vazrazhdane” (Resurgence) party voted against the agreement. The other parliamentary parties supported it.

The left-wing BSP said it would immediately ask the head of state to veto it.

"Today, you are again attempting, in the National Assembly, to discuss the possible granting of new weapons and to make this the competence of the Council of Ministers. You are crossing all boundaries. This is a new form of imposing censorship and it is precisely on the National Assembly. Stop it", said Borislav Gutsanov of BSP for Bulgaria.

"Why should the Council of Ministers in the future be allowed to authorise weapons without the permission of the National Assembly? Because there may be no National Assembly and if talks start with another country to provide us with weapons, the Council of Ministers decides that this satisfies the army, it is normal to make such a deal," added Ivo Mirchev of Democratic Bulgaria.

"The list is secret because we are ashamed of how little we give. I haven't read the list, but the book value is about 20 million, and we exported military production for 6 billion last year. In 2002 the exports were 6 billion, last year 1 billion, so since the beginning of the war Bulgaria’s exports have jumped by 5 billion," said Delyan Dobrev of GERB-UDF.

"What is Ukraine doing for our compatriots except terrorising and repressing them and trying to wipe out their administrative detachedness, nothing else does this small fascist state, it is not small - it is a big fascist state. We support a regime that tomorrow can use this weapon against our compatriots," noted Kostadin Kostadinov of "Vazrazhdane".

"I ask all MPs and especially "Vazrazhdane" to adhere to the dignified language that is required from this rostrum," urged Yordan Tsonev of MRF.

"The minister is standing here and does not come out to say why he signed such a contract in which the Bulgarian citizens will not know what production and what armaments will be exported," said Georgi Svilensky of the BSP for Bulgaria.

"The reason for classifying the two lists is part of a report that contains comprehensive information on the armaments of the Bulgarian army, including equipment to replenish losses," caretaker Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov added.