One day after Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia, Bulgarian officials continued to avoid taking an unambiguous stance on the issue.

President Georgi Purvanov, answering questions after the opening of the extraordinary session of an UNESCO committee in Sofia, said that Bulgaria's position would depend on how closely Kosovo authorities would follow the framework set out in the plan drafted by UN's special envoy to the region, Martti Ahtisaari.

At the same time, Bulgaria "empathised with the feelings of the Serbian people" on the issue, he added, as quoted by Focus news agency.

Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Ministry released a brief statement after Kosovo declared independence, saying it was not surprised by the move.

"Bulgaria has a position on the issue, but in line with the agreement we have with our partners, it would be made public only after the new situation is discussed in Brussels by the foreign ministers of the European Union member states," the statement read.

"Bulgaria would continue to work for a consensus on the issue within the EU, which would minimise security risks in Kosovo, region and Europe," the ministry said.

Other Bulgarian politicians have avoided taking a stand on the issue, with only Krassimir Karakachanov, the leader of nationalist VMRO party, calling on Parvanov to hold an emergency meeting of the National Security Council and a closed-doors Parliament session to debate Bulgaria's position on Kosovo's independence.