Russia stops issuing visas to Bulgarians in response to expulsion of Moscow's diplomats

The Russian Embassy in Sofia has stopped issuing tourist visas to Bulgarians and will only permit visitors who have close family members living in Russia to enter the nation, the state-run Bulgarian National Radio announced on July 5. On July 4, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia would retaliate in the same manner as Bulgaria, which expelled 70 Russian diplomats last week.

Lavrov addressed the incident during a press conference in Moscow following talks with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Carlos Faria.

"Following this completely illegal action, the Russian Foreign Ministry states that the embassy in Sofia cannot operate normally. Naturally, we will respond to our Bulgarian colleagues," Lavrov was quoted by TASS as saying.

The Russian mission in Bulgaria still has more than 40 employees, even after the diplomats were expelled. The diplomatic representation of Bulgaria in Moscow, however, employs 12 people. The expulsion of Russian diplomats from Bulgaria was not a unilateral decision made by the soon-to-be-former prime minister Kiril Petkov, the Russian Foreign Minister emphasised.

“This is a non-independent decision of the current prime minister, who has an absolutely open, unequivocally pro-American orientation, who is ready to fulfil any wish of his sovereign,” Lavrov said adding that, the US' policy does not only apply to Bulgaria.

The Plenipotentiary Minister of Russia, Philip Voskresensky, as well as the Russian consuls general in Varna, Ruse, and Andrey Gromov, as well as Yury Makushin, the director of the Russian Cultural and Information Centre, were among the 70 Russian diplomats and technical personnel who were expelled by Bulgarian authorities on June 28. The proposal to close the embassy was made by Eleonora Mitrofanova, the Russian ambassador in Sofia, and she is awaiting a response from Moscow.

Bulgaria accuses Russia of bribing influential people in an effort to spread propaganda

Lena Borislavova, the head of the Bulgarian prime minister's office and a government spokesperson, claimed on Darik radio over the weekend that Bulgarian secret services have information showing that Russia pays about €2000 (roughly Rs. 1.6 lakh) per month to public figures, journalists, and politicians to spread its propaganda in the nation. According to Borislavova, the money was given to prominent journalists, political scientists, analysts, and politicians in Bulgaria.

She said they were paid by the Russian government to sway public opinion. She further claimed that some public speakers are skilled at confusing the audience and playing on their misconceptions and fears. She declared that her party does not support foreign interests "disguised as national interests."

(Image: AP)