Classified files in Bulgaria should become public but a committee needs to follow closely the process, European Parliament (EP) rapporteur for Bulgaria Geoffrey Van Orden said.

The process should not serve political interests, Van Orden said. The EP rapporteur met head of the foreign affairs parliamentary committee Solomon Passi, mediapool.bg reported.

Van Orden’s statement comes as response to the ‘selective’ dossier opening for which Interior Minister Roumen Petkov was criticised. Public pressure for the opening of all previously classified files was on the rise, mediapool.bg reported.

Probably some past Bulgarian events need to be clarified, Van Orden said. To deal with the past people should have access to classified information said he.

If the issue was so sensitive, it could be supervised by an impartial committee, said Van Orden.

Several months ago representatives of the Greens in the European Parliament called for the opening of classified documents in Bulgaria. Bulgaria was the only Eastern European country that kept secret information, which led to corruption and blackmailing, the Greens said.

European Integration Minister Meglena Kouneva said that Bulgarians should be aware of their past to create an independent society.