Deputy PM: Country is stable because executive and legislature share common priorities

We see sustainability and stability in the country because the executive and legislative powers are working, talking and sharing common priorities, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel told journalists on Monday, commenting on the words of Vice President Iliana Iotova a day earlier that the Council of Ministers is the "B" team and decisions are taken by the party floor leaders in Parliament.

"I think, first of all, that Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic and we see that we have a functioning Parliament. Second - we see stability and resilience in the country because the executive and the legislature are working, talking, having a dialogue and sharing common priorities," Gabriel said.

Asked if she and her team are ready for the rotation in power, the Deputy Prime Minister said that she and PM Nikolay Denkov are in the same position and talks are yet to take place. “We want to evaluate the work of each minister, we want to see how the tasks set in the governance programme are being implemented,” she added.

Asked whether she would remain foreign minister, Gabriel replied that she would not hint at names, nor give any indication.

Regarding the fate of the kidnapped Bulgarian sailors, Gabriel said that there is no change, the situation centre and the team in the Foreign Ministry are following the situation closely.