Reuters: Old Ties with Russia Weigh on Bulgarian Decision in Spy Poisoning Case

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''Bulgaria, which has a strong pro-Russian lobby in government, needs more time to decide whether to follow NATO and EU allies in expelling Russian diplomats over a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy'', its deputy prime minister said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

EU presidency chair Bulgaria has recalled its ambassador from Moscow after the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in the first known use of a military-grade nerve agent on European soil since World War Two.

But it has stopped short of following most EU members and allies in NATO, including the United States, which have expelled dozens of Russian diplomats in a show of solidarity with Britain over the March 4 attack.

"The political situation in Bulgaria is such that these types of decisions have to be taken by consensus," deputy prime minister Tomislav Donchev said, referring to a strong body of opinion in the coalition government and opposition which favours pursuing good ties with Russia.

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