Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry: More than 13 500 Ukrainians crossed the border from Romania
Between February 24 and March 2, more than 13 500 Ukrainians citizens crossed into Bulgaria from Romania, the Interior Ministry said.
Bulgaria will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine in the form of hospital medical equipment and medicines, Prime Minister’s chief of staff and Cabinet spokesperson Lena Borislavova said after a regular meeting of the Cabinet on March 2.
Bulgaria’s country’s support for Ukraine includes tents, sleeping bags, camp beds, pillows, stationary electric generators and important medicines such as antibiotics and analgesics.
By the end of the day, convoys of humanitarian aid travelling through Bulgaria will be exempted from tolls, Borislavova said.
In the context of the European Union’s collective response to the war in Ukraine, the Cabinet decided that Bulgaria would terminate its membership of the International Investment Bank and the International Bank for Economic Cooperation.
The action is coordinated by all EU member states, she said.
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Justice said on March 2 that free legal aid would be available to all Ukrainian citizens seeking protection in Bulgaria.
Counselling in connection with the provision of protection, including assistance in filling in documents, is provided by lawyers registered in the National Register of Legal Aid, at all regional counselling centres at the country’s bar associations, the Ministry of Justice said.
Boiko Borissov’s opposition GERB party said on March 2 that it would table a package of urgent legislative amendments to facilitate the granting of asylum to Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war.
The party said that on arrival in Bulgaria, these people must immediately receive accommodation in municipal or state housing or in private housing, hotels, and the state should bear the costs to the extent of the equivalent of the municipal rent.
They should also immediately receive the right to work.
GERB said that it envisaged these measures remaining in effect for 18 months.
For the rest of The Sofia Globe’s continuing coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, please click here.
(Archive photo: Gonzosft)
Please support independent journalism by clicking on the orange button below. For as little as three euro a month or the equivalent in other currencies, you can support The Sofia Globe via patreon.com:
