Romania ‘disappointed’ by Bulgarian PM blaming its tourists for ASF
The Foreign Ministry of Romania says that it is disappointed by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov blaming Romanian tourists for the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in his country.
Recent weeks have seen 26 outbreaks of ASF in Bulgaria, including at five industrial pig farms. About 130 000 pigs have been culled or are to be, projected losses to the industry run into millions and according to the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, the outbreaks have not yet peaked.
On the evening of August 2, Borissov went to the town of Pazardzhik, one of the places where there has been resistance to orders to cull domestic pigs to prevent the spread of ASF.
Among other remarks, Borissov said that he was sure that Romanian tourists had brought the infection to Bulgaria. The northern neighbouring country has been the site of large-scale outbreaks of ASF.
In a message on Twitter, Romania’s Foreign Ministry said: “We express our disappointment of Bulgarian PM @BoykoBorissov about tourists. He should be reminded that Romanian tourists in Bulgaria contribute significantly to this with GDP”.
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(Photo of the Romanian Foreign Ministry headquarters: mae.ro)
