Mariya Gabriel

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.

European Prosecutor General Laura Koveci expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Bulgarian office of the European Prosecutor's Office, hailing it as a commendable example. Following discussions with Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel during a visit to Bulgaria, Kovesi highlighted the country's standards in the fight against corruption.

There are two hostages of Bulgarian origin held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, announced Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel.

During yesterday's visit to Israel, Gabriel and Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov spoke with families of abductees in Gaza, from whom they learned that two people of Bulgarian origin were among the abductees.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Academician Nikolai Denkov is visiting Israel. As part of the visit to Jerusalem, the Bulgarian Prime Minister met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel also participated in the delegation led by Academician Denkov.

"Only united can we hope for a good result, and not by accusing each other of showing weakness" - this is how the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel commented on the tension in the ruling coalition in connection with the unknowns surrounding the acceptance of Bulgaria into Schengen:

"We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) disputed the agreement on prime ministerial rotation with GERB, questioning the activity of the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Mariya Gabriel in relation to Bulgaria's entry into Schengen.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is monitoring the situation with the stranded 30 Bulgarian citizens who are in Volos, Greece. This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel.

Bulgaria is in constant contact with the Greek authorities, she noted:

Bulgaria's candidacy for membership of the UN Human Rights Council in the period 2024-2026 was presented today by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Gabriel.