Foreign Minister Mitov Confers
with Chairman of Association of Bulgarians
in Ukraine

Sofia, February 13 (BTA) - The Bulgarian state has never lost
track of what is happening in Ukraine and the situation of the
Bulgarians there has always been particularly important to this
country. The present conflict makes Bulgaria follow the
development of events even more closely, with a readiness to
react at any given moment to defend the rights of its
compatriots there, Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov said at a
meeting Friday. He was conferring Friday with Anton Kisse,
Chairman of the Association of Bulgarians in Ukraine, MitovТs
ministry said.

Bulgaria is applying all existing mechanisms in this direction,
working actively on both bilateral level with the Ukrainian
authorities and within the framework of the European Union.
Mitov underscored that the conclusions adopted at the
extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on January
29 a text calling upon Ukraine to abide by the rights of
minorities was adopted at a motion from Bulgaria.

Bulgaria expects the Ukrainian authorities to abide by the
principle of proportional mobilization, Mitov said. He assured
his guest that this position has been upheld and will be
declared again at his forthcoming meeting with Ukrainian Foreign
Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who is scheduled to pay an official
visit to Sofia.

Kisse expressed the gratitude of the Bulgarians in Ukraine that
they can feel the moral support of Bulgaria in such difficult
times and are in constant contact with both the embassy in Kiev
and the Consulate General in Odessa, as well as the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.

Kisse said the assertions that representatives of the Bulgarian
community in Ukraine are supporting separatist actions are pure
speculation. "We are loyal citizens of Ukraine and have to live
with its successes and problems," he said, adding that there are
no grounds to speak of a widespread desire of Bulgarians in
Ukraine to leave that country.

Mitov informed Kisse about the measures undertaken by the
Foreign Ministry in respect to easier issuance of visas for the
Bulgarians in Ukraine, as well as about the preparations to send
humanitarian aid to the areas most seriously hit by the
fighting.

Humanitarian aid was the subject of subsequent talks between
Kisse, Deputy Foreign Minister Katya Todorova and Bulgarian Red
Cross President Hristo Grigorov. The first delivery, including
food, medicines, bandages and others, will be delivered to
Donbas, where the situation is most complicated. It will be
received by Kisse's association. The cooperation of the
Ukrainian authorities and the Ukrainian Red Cross will be sought
for the safe passage of the convoy. /PK/BR/

/ТК/