The events in Ukraine are still tense and contradictory. The ruling Party of Regions and the opposition fail to agree on an exit out of the political crisis. The parliament has adopted a draft amnesty bill for those, involved in protests and being investigated or already prosecuted and trialed. However, this amnesty will enter into force only in case the protesters release the administrative buildings occupied. The opposition claims that it will continue with the rally, because with this amnesty the governing politicians are actually trying to transfer to it the responsibility on what’s happening in the country. Sofia is monitoring the events with great concern and has its serious reasons for that.

Ukraine is one of the major trade partners of Bulgaria, taking the 14^th position in terms of turnover, forming 1.2 percent of this country’s export and 2.5 percent of the import.

There is a big Bulgarian ethnic community in Ukraine, amounting to 225,000 people, while at the same time many Bulgarian citizens reside there due to the high intensity of bilateral relations and other reasons.

Ukraine is also a state of higher priority for Bulgaria, as far as its foreign policy is concerned. It is a subject of the so-called Eastern Partnership – an EU policy for cooperation with the former Soviet republics that this country is actively involved in. It is also a member-state of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation /BSEC/ and right now Bulgaria is the rotational president of BSEC. The events in Ukraine wouldn’t contribute the implementation of the goals, which Bulgaria has set to itself for strengthening the Eastern Partnership policy and for increasing of the BSEC cooperation with other regional formats.

Bulgaria has now voiced several essential stances, grounded on all these circumstances.

First, Sofia declares that in its opinion the solving of the political crisis in Ukraine should be a result of the actions of the Ukrainians themselves, without any foreign interference. At the same time this country’s foreign ministry has called on the Ukrainian authorities several times to respect the basic rights of the citizens and appealed the oppositional forces to be restrained and temperate with their actions. Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin underlined that these were the two major conditions for the avoiding of further, more serious events, resulting in the destabilization not only of the country, but of the entire region as well.

As far as the refusal of Kiev to sign an association agreement with the EU – the event that actually triggered the dramatic rallies, Bulgaria takes the stance that the EU should continue working for the signing not only of such an agreement, but also of a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement, as soon as Ukraine is ready for this.

Sofia doesn’t hide the fact that its positions totally match the ones of the EU, and, as Foreign Minister Vigenin said “all official conclusions of the EU are our stances either”.

The reaction of Bulgaria’s government to what’s happening in Ukraine can be qualified as restrained and waiting. At the same time President Rosen Plevneliev cancelled his May visit to Ukraine due to the events there. According to the foreign minister this is a right of the head of state, but the situation might change a lot by that date.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev