Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin and chairman of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee Solomon Passi clashed over the stance Bulgaria should take towards Kosovo, mediapool.bg reported on February 25 2008.
Passi, who was foreign minister in the previous cabinet of Simeon Saxe-Cobourg, argued that Bulgaria should recognise Kosovo immediately and send an ambassador to Prishtina, as reported by private channel bTV.
Kalfin took a more moderate stance, telling journalists it was too early to think who should be Bulgaria's ambassador to Kosovo and that the embassy posting announcement would have to be preceded by a series of other events. Even before choosing who would be sent to Kosovo, Bulgaria had to decide the format of its future mission in the province, which declared its unilateral independence from Belgrade on February 17 2008.
When Montenegro split from its loose union with Serbia, Bulgaria appointed its erstwhile general consul in Podgorica as ambassador.
Bulgaria is the European Union member state located nearest to Kosovo and it should have a clear stand on the problem, but so far its position on the issue has been a compilation of personal opinions, Passi commented.
Although Kalfin said last week he would propose to the Government to “establish relations” with the new Kosovar republic, the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party's (BSP's) decided on February to postpone recognition of Kosovo until it adopted a constitution and other basic laws.
Passi said he expected to see an “evolution of Bulgaria's stand on Kosovo” towards Kosovo's immediate recognition in the last week of February.
Passi, who was foreign minister in the previous cabinet of Simeon Saxe-Cobourg, argued that Bulgaria should recognise Kosovo immediately and send an ambassador to Prishtina, as reported by private channel bTV.
Kalfin took a more moderate stance, telling journalists it was too early to think who should be Bulgaria's ambassador to Kosovo and that the embassy posting announcement would have to be preceded by a series of other events. Even before choosing who would be sent to Kosovo, Bulgaria had to decide the format of its future mission in the province, which declared its unilateral independence from Belgrade on February 17 2008.
When Montenegro split from its loose union with Serbia, Bulgaria appointed its erstwhile general consul in Podgorica as ambassador.
Bulgaria is the European Union member state located nearest to Kosovo and it should have a clear stand on the problem, but so far its position on the issue has been a compilation of personal opinions, Passi commented.
Although Kalfin said last week he would propose to the Government to “establish relations” with the new Kosovar republic, the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party's (BSP's) decided on February to postpone recognition of Kosovo until it adopted a constitution and other basic laws.
Passi said he expected to see an “evolution of Bulgaria's stand on Kosovo” towards Kosovo's immediate recognition in the last week of February.
