Mariya Gabriel

The Governor and Deputy Governor of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Stanimir Mihaylov and Prof Momchil Mavrov, have submitted their resignations to the National Assembly, confirmed by Parliament's press centre following a joint briefing by GERB leader Boyko Borissov, Democratic Bulgaria co-chair Hristo Ivanov, and We Continue the Change co-chair Asen Vassilev.

Mrs. Meenakashi Lekhi, Hon'ble Minister of State of External Affairs and Culture, Republic of India is on official visit to Republic of Bulgaria from 30th November, 2023 to 1st December, 2023.

European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni visited Bulgaria, emphasizing the European Commission's unwavering support for Bulgaria's Schengen accession and its aspirations to meet the criteria for joining the eurozone.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left the Macedonian capital late last night, an hour before the arrival of Russia's No. 1 diplomat, Sergey Lavrov. Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel also left Skopje on Wednesday evening to avoid attending today's OSCE meeting, which is also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

European Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, embarks on a crucial two-day visit to Bulgaria starting Thursday. The visit aims to foster discussions on the economic outlook for the EU and Bulgaria, preceding the upcoming year of 2024, as confirmed by the European Commission.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived last night in the capital of North Macedonia, Skopje, for the meeting of his colleagues from the countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as his plane bypassed Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel remarked that Bulgaria's decision to authorize the Russian Foreign Minister's aircraft passage over Bulgarian airspace en route to the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje was aligned with the European Union's directives.

Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel expressed gratitude to Germany for its robust backing of Bulgaria's swift accession to the Schengen zone. During a joint press briefing with her German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin, Gabriel emphasized the significance of Germany's unwavering support at this pivotal juncture.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov has proposed a specific arrangement to GERB regarding the contentious issue of Lukoil's derogation. Denkov suggested, "On March 6, we have a rotation of the government. Until then, let's leave things as they are. The next day, if they want, they can remove the derogation for three days.

The Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev presented the draft budget for 2024, which, according to him, allows Bulgaria to meet all the criteria for entering the Eurozone, which is planned for the beginning of 2025.