There are no grounds for declaring the Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria Olesya Ilashchuk "persona non grata", said Prime Minister Rumen Radev during today's parliamentary control. The Prime Minister answered a question from MP Kosta Stoyanov from "Vazrazhdane" regarding "systemic interference by the Ukrainian Ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk in the internal affairs of Bulgaria". Stoyanov asked the prime minister whether a note will be handed over to recall the Ukrainian ambassador, BTA reported.
The declaration of “persona non grata“ is an extreme, drastic measure and it must be based on clear and indisputable facts and established circumstances. At the moment, there is no such data, the prime minister said. What is available is the verbal note of the Ukrainian ambassador to the Bulgarian institutions and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting more information about Ukrainian citizen Oleg Nevzorov after the issued coercive administrative measure. According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Service, this is a normal function of every diplomatic representative - to seek and request information about the citizens of his country who reside in the respective country, Rumen Radev explained and added that this is the only documented and known thing at the moment.
Nevzorov was questioned by the prosecutor's office in his capacity as a witness. What and how the investigation is conducted can be answered by the prosecutor's office, Rumen Radev also said.
In early June this year, the Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Demerdzhiev said that there was evidence of actions taken by the Ambassador of Ukraine, which were after the issued compulsory administrative measure against Oleg Nevzorov and before its withdrawal.
The Prime Minister said that he expects to understand why the acting chairman of the State Agency "National Security" at that time - Denyo Denev, canceled his order to expel Nevzorov. There is no other such case. This gives reason to think and suggests that there may have been pressure, but there are no other grounds for what the Ambassador of Ukraine stated in the document. This is the verbal note entirely within the grounds of the Vienna Convention, entirely within her powers, Rumen Radev also said.