Foreign Ministry in Sofia

Turkey, Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic have, in various ways, eased their rules for arrivals from Bulgaria, according to statements by the Foreign Ministry in Sofia.

Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Hungary have urged Ukraine not to introduce the restrictions on mother-tongue education envisaged in the Education Act approved at second reading by the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said more international co-operation is needed to prevent terrorist attacks after suspected Islamists killed at least 13 people and injured over 100 in Barcelona in two separate attacks on Thursday.

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva has expressed her condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack in Barcelona in a telegram to her Spanish counterpart, Alfonso María Dastis Quecedo, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said on August 17, reported BGNES.

There have been no immediate reports of Bulgarian nationals killed or wounded by the lorry which ploughed into a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia has said.

Twelve people died in the incident and 48 were injured. Police suspect the development was a terrorist attack.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has referred to the prosecuting authorities a deal conducted by the Foreign Ministry after the government's resignation that it says amounted to a "theft" of BGN 0.5 M.

The Foreign Ministry in Sofia has advised Bulgarian nationals against traveling to Turkey as of the moment in relation to Saturday's twin bombings in Istanbul.

In a statement, the institution has recommended a postponement of any planned travels to Turkey until the situation is "normalized, except in case of need."

North Korea has been generating hard currency through dealings in Bulgaria, Yonhap news agency says in a report.

Citing diplomatic sources, the agency says "real estate dealings in Bulgaria" done by Pyongyang have resulted in raising calls for Sofia to "intervene amid global efforts to choke off sources of revenue" for the North Korean regime.

Regional cooperation, European integration of the Western Balkans and challenges facing Southeast Europe were high on the agenda of a meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries of the region, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia said on Tuesday.

Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov, on an official visit to Azerbaijan, held talks with the country's President  Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Bilateral limks, energy projects and Azerbaijan's relationship with the EU were in the focus of Mitov's talks with Mamadyarov.