Return of Children from Occupied Ukrainian Territories a Precondition for Peace Talks, Says PM Zhelyazkov from New York

“We are part of the coalition for the return of children to Ukraine, and this is not part of the negotiation process. It is a condition that should be fulfilled for formal peace talks to begin. Our position remains unchanged, clear, and unequivocal – children from territories in Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation, who pass through so-called filtration camps, should be returned to their homes immediately,” Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told Bulgarian journalists in New York on September 23.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Zhelyazkov was welcomed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the opening of the general debate at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the case of a Bulgarian citizen mobilised in Odessa. Minister Georg Georgiev confirmed that authorities are in contact with the young man’s family.

“He holds dual citizenship, including Ukrainian. While on Ukrainian territory, certain obligations apply to him, including regarding mobilisation. We will do everything possible to safeguard his rights,” Minister Georgiev said.

President Rumen Radev’s call for clarification regarding the forcible detention and mobilisation of a Bulgarian citizen in Ukraine was described by Minister Georgiev as populism and political posturing. “Whenever the Bulgarian state has acted, it has done so with a view to achieving positive results, not for extracting a political dividend,” the foreign minister stated.