BG President: Bulgaria is not Russia's Trojan horse in the EU

In an interview with French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev emphasised that Bulgaria will ''not be the Trojan horse of Russia'' and that the European Parliament elections in 2014 will not be about political right and left, but about "for" or "against " Europe.

Referring to the fact that Russian ambassador in Brussels called Bulgaria the "Trojan horse of Moscow in the EU'' in 2007, Plevneliev noted that Bulgarians are among the most pro-EU citizens in Europe, are proud of their EU membership and are united on the issue of Europe.

''I think the error is that the Bulgarian-Russian political relations were too focused on only three major projects, the so called "Grand Slam". I was part of a government that stopped two of them. Regarding South Stream, it is important for Bulgaria and I have never been against it , quite on the contrary. Bulgaria and Russia can work together, but only when it is beneficial to both countries, and only when it respects European law'' Plevneliev noted.

''Historically, our national aspirations and vision have always been linked to Europe. Our identity is pro-European. Of course, for Russia, Bulgaria has a strategic importance. I was the first president to openly discuss the historical fact that the Bulgarian Communists offered the Kremlin Bulgaria to become the 16th republic of the Soviet Union'' Plevneliev noted adding that the Communist and Nazi past should not be forgotten in order to prevent them from returning.

Adapted from Standartnews