‘No Good Will Come’ of Parliament’s Ad-Hoc Committee on Russia, Turkey  - Bulgarian PM

The ad-hoc parliamentary committee set up to probe alleged interference of Russia and Turkey into Bulgaria’s domestic affairs could only worsen Sofia’s relationship with both Moscow and Ankara, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said.

“No good will come of this committee…It’s no coincidence that it has evoked very sharp reactions from both countries,” Borisov told a meeting of the youth section of GERB party in the town of Sandanski on Saturday.

The special parliamentary committee had been set at a time when the EU is seeking Turkey’s support to tackle the migration crisis in Europe and Bulgaria is working hard to attract more Russian tourists, Borisov said, according to a statement posted on GERB’s webpage.

Borisov, who is GERB leader, called on the chairman of the party’s parliamentary group Tsvetan Tsvetanov to use “all diplomatic mechansisms” available in the chamber to re-evaluate the need of the ad-hoc committee.

GERB MP Metodi Andreev said earlier on Saturday it had been ‘a blunder’ to set up the ad-hoc committee.

On Friday, Russia and Bulgaria traded barbs over the creation of the committee. Russia’s Foreign Ministry lashed out at Bulgarian MPs on Friday for setting it up. In response, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said that  Moscow’s reaction was “a disregard for good manners".