Zelenskyy visit: Tight security in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia

A strong police presence was deployed in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia on July 6 because of the visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On the morning of July 6, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov confirmed that Zelenskyy would be visiting.

Bulgarian National Television reported that there were traffic restrictions on the Largo and pedestrians were barred from passing.

There also were traffic restrictions on Tsar Osvoboditel Boulevard and there were police along the route from Sofia Airport to the government headquarters, while security at metro stations along Tsarigradsko Chaussee was stepped up.

In Bulgaria’s Parliament, the Order Paper for the day was amended in the light of Zelenskyy’s visit.

A new first item was introduced, which calls on the Cabinet to speed up the process of renewing stocks of weaponry by replacing it with newly-produced materiel.

The proposal, tabled by GERB-UDF leader Boiko Borissov, is seen as intended to assist the supply of weaponry to Ukraine, providing Zelenskyy’s country with Bulgaria’s Soviet-era weaponry and replacing it, possibly through triangular deals, with modern Nato-standard weaponry.

The second item on the Order Paper concerns a proposal to mandate negotiations to sell reactors from the Belene nuclear power station, which has not been completed, to Ukraine.

The third item is a draft declaration supporting Ukraine’s accession to Nato once the war is over.

Approving by Parliament’s foreign affairs committee on July 4, the declaration was tabled by four out of the six groups in the 49th National Assembly: GERB-UDF, We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and ITN.

According to the declaration, the fastest track to the restoration of peace in Ukraine, the Black Sea region and Europe is Russia’s full and immediate withdrawal beyond the internationally recognised borders of the affected sovereign states.

The declaration also calls for continued military and technical support for Ukraine.

At a meeting on July 5, Bulgaria’s government approved a draft of a Joint Declaration between Bulgaria and Ukraine regarding the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, the government information service said.

In a separate statement after the Cabinet meeting on July 5, the government information service said that Bulgaria and Ukraine would strengthen their cooperation in the energy field based on the principle of mutual benefit and taking into account the common interests and goals of both countries.

(Archive photo: Interior Ministry press centre)

Please support The Sofia Globe by becoming a subscriber to our page on Patreon:

Become a Patron!

The Sofia Globe staff

The Sofia Globe - the Sofia-based fully independent English-language news and features website, covering Bulgaria, the Balkans and the EU. Sign up to subscribe to sofiaglobe.com's daily bulletin through the form on our homepage. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32709292