PM Borissov met Russian Ambassador Mitrofanova: We want an open dialogue with Russia (update)

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on March 23 met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation Eleonora Mitrofanova on the occasion of the beginning of her term in Sofia. During the meeting in the Council of Ministers, the two discussed the bilateral relations and the willingness on both sides to deepen them in a spirit of goodwill and pragmatism.

Prime Minister Borissov pointed out that Bulgaria wants to have an open and mutually beneficial dialogue with the Russian Federation, in which our country is guided by its national interests and Euro-Atlantic priorities.

He wished Ambassador Mitrofanova a successful term in office in Bulgaria and pointed out the serious potential for cooperation in the field of economy and trade.

According to him, Bulgaria and the Russian Federation can develop a successful partnership in a number of areas such as culture, tourism and agriculture.

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The meeting took place, a day after Bulgaria declared two Russian diplomats persona non grata for alleged spying for Russia.

Although the spy affair is still in the news stream in the country and in many leading foreign media, it is not clear from the press release whether the case was discussed by Borissov and Mitrofanova.

The Prime Minister stated that Bulgaria wants to have an open and mutually beneficial dialogue with Moscow, in which our country is guided by its national interests and Euro-Atlantic priorities.

The two discussed bilateral relations and the willingness on both sides to deepen them in a spirit of goodwill and pragmatism.

The Prime Minister also pointed out the serious potential for cooperation in the area of economy and trade.

Today, however, a reaction to the spy affair came from Moscow. In the position of the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, it is said that in Bulgaria there is another escalation of the anti-Russian "espionage mania" on the eve of the parliamentary elections, scheduled to take place on April 4.

"This is the fifth time in a year and a half that Bulgarian authorities have made such a démarche and once again without presenting any proof,” Zakharova said in a statement on March 23.

She called on Bulgaria to “stop participating in a ‘witch hunt’ that is damaging Bulgaria’s own national interests.”

Zakharova's statement also said it was time to return to a constructive dialogue, which she described as much more natural for Russian-Bulgarian relations.