Release of "Galaxy Leader' crew - "I admire our two sailors, they did not break," Elena Yoncheva says

The release of the two Bulgarians is the result of enormous efforts that have been made over the past year. And this shows that when a Bulgarian citizen is in trouble somewhere, no matter in which part of the world, Bulgaria is able to mobilize to bring them back home - this is what MEP Elena Yoncheva said in "The Day Begins".

The release of the two Bulgarians is the result of enormous efforts that were made over the past year. This shows that when a Bulgarian citizen is in trouble, no matter where in the world, Bulgaria is capable of mobilising to bring them home, stated MEP Elena Yoncheva in the Day Begins programme on BNT on January 24.

Elena Yoncheva expressed her admiration for the two Bulgarian sailors, saying they "showed exceptional courage and didn't break."

"We succeeded because we were united, regardless of our political differences," she added.

"I believe that in the future, when similar critical situations arise, the institutions will be able to mobilise, coordinate their actions well, and do everything possible to bring our people back. To preserve their honour, dignity, and lives. And this is what happened."

As part of the mission of MEPs, it is our responsibility to care for our compatriots, said Yoncheva. "As an MEP, I went on a mission to Yemen," she noted.

My goal was to reach the Bulgarian sailors – to give them courage, to give them hope. I brought them books. That was the minimum I set for myself," she shared.

It was very difficult to get there, she added. The geopolitical situation was very complex.

• Bulgarian sailors from the Galaxy Leader arrived at Sofia airport

"The European Commission doesn't have the tools or a committee to help. Yes, they have information, but they don't have an active instrument to intervene."

Then, as Yoncheva recounts, she tried to find contacts in Yemen, which was the most challenging part. She conducted a three-month research and eventually reached out to Ansar Allah.

"It was extremely difficult because I needed various permissions."

You can't just get on a UN plane, you have to actually prove that you are going on a humanitarian mission, Yelena Yoncheva continued her story.

"When I made contact with the movement controlling the territory, I saw that it was possible to establish dialogue with them. That there was a communication channel, and that was the big surprise."

She had more than 50 hours of conversations with various representatives of the movement.

"There was willingness to listen, there was understanding, and in the end, the result was that they said, 'Yes, we will release them.'"

"They want a personal contact, and you must build trust with them," Yoncheva said.