Bulgaria should not liberalise too much the procedures for foreign citizens of Bulgarian origin, to obtain Bulgarian passports, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin said.

As main reasons, Kalfin quoted considerations of national security and EU policy, Focus news agency said.

Kalfin said that a quick procedure would lead to passports be issued to citizens that would take advantage of them.

What we intend to do is introduce concrete mechanisms to make the whole process much more transparent, to avoid the appearance of self-proclaimed mediators in the process of issuing these documents, Kalfin commented.

The Foreign Minister added that a research was being carried out on the possibilities of issuing a personal document for foreigners of Bulgarian origin, a green card. In it the Bulgarian origin of the person would be recognised. However, this document would not have the validity of a Bulgarian passport. It would grant privileges in the visa regime, the right to work and the right to permanent settlement in Bulgaria, but would not have the legal force of a passport valid in the EU, Kalfin explained.