Foreign Minister Milkov: 734 polling stations to be opened abroad

A total of 734 polling stations will be opened abroad for the snap parliamentary elections on October 2, said caretaker Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov on Bulgarian National Radio.

Milkov recalled that the deadline for submitting applications for voting outside the country is until September 6 and stated that, depending on their number, more sections abroad may be opened. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects to open about 750 sections in over 60 countries. "The situation is such that the sections abroad are opened ex officio, on the basis of data from previous elections," Milkov explained.

Regarding the opening of polling stations on the territory of Ukraine, Minister Milkov explained that this week a working group will leave for Ukraine to determine the situation and conditions for resuming the work of the Bulgarian Embassy in Kyiv. The Foriegn Minister noted that only after the activities of the Bulgarian consular service are resumed, can the opening of sections be discussed, and this depends on the people. Milkov recalled that in the past, usually about 100 applications for voting were submitted in the two Bulgarian missions in Ukraine, in Kyiv and in Odessa.

Earlier this week, at a briefing in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it transpired that only 7 applications for voting had been received on the territory of Ukraine.

On the subject of Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen area, Milkov stated that this is an "old and painful problem" in Bulgarian politics, pointing out that the caretaker cabinet works at the administrative level.

He noted that other member states have been expressing positive attitudes on the matter.

Answering a question related to European solidarity, Milkov stated: "I do not identify a direct risk for the European Union turning away from the policies that it has defined". "This is an old strategy of Moscow. Back in the Cold War, it tried to drive wedges between the US and Europe and within Europe itself, in order to increase the inhomogeneity in the political perceptions and positions of European countries," he said.

The accumulated crises that the EU has faced in recent years, starting with the pandemic, the interruption of supply chains, the shortage of basic goods, the lack and price increase of energy raw materials, revealed new weaknesses that must be overcome in order to achieve a more competitive homogenous and united Europe, the Minister stressed.

He added that these crises require an urgent readjustment of the currently existing instruments and policies in the field of security and defence, but also in sectors such as energy, economy, climate. It is necessary to do so in order to achieve sustainability of the supply chains of various raw materials in Europe, by creating new partnerships, Milkov noted.

In connection with the visit of the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovachevski, to Bulgaria on Monday, the Foreign Minister stated that all issues of bilateral interest will be put on the table for discussion.