Russian ambassador to Bulgaria demands withdrawal of notes from embassy staff

The Russian ambassador to Sofia Eleonora Mitrofanova has handed a note verbale to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, in which she demands in an ultimatum tone that by 12.00 noon on 1 July 2022 the country withdraws the persona non grata notes on the employees of Russian missions abroad. The issue of closing the Russian Federation's Embassy in the Republic of Bulgaria will be brought to the attention of the Russian leadership without delay. In response, outgoing Prime Minister Kiril Petkov advised the Russian Federation to withdraw its Note Verbale. The Russian embassy in Bulgaria will be able to keep 43 of its staff after the decision taken by the Bulgarian government yesterday, despite the fact that the Bulgarian presence only counts 12 people in our embassy in Russia. Kiril Petkov said that he believes that Bulgarian-Russian relations can continue to develop in areas of mutual interest, respecting the values important to both countries.

Eleonora Mitrofanova told the public service broadcaster BNT that Moscow was considering severance of diplomatic relations with Bulgaria over the scandal with the expulsion of 70 Russian diplomats. Russia defines the actions of the Bulgarian government as unprecedented.