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Updated March 27th, 2023 at 07:26 IST

Bulgaria's ex-PM says 2.5 bn euro-worth of weapons supplied to Ukraine

Bulgarian Parliament passed a resolution in 2022 to send munitions and bolster humanitarian, financial and military-technical assistance for Kyiv.

Reported by: Digital Desk
Bulgaria
IMAGE: AP/Shutterstock | Image:self
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Bulgaria has supplied an estimated worth five billion levs [or 2.5 billion euro] weapons to Kyiv in just 164 days, Bulgaria’s former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said in a statement on Sunday, Tass reported, citing his interview with BTV television channel. "We saw in economic reports that the cities of Sopot and Kazanlak have been operating to their full capacity and I think they have earned five billion [levs] over 164 days," Petkov stressed. Furthermore, he noted that such a major weapons supply happened despite the fact that there has been no direct export to Ukraine from Sofia.

'In solidary with Ukraine along with the European partners': Bulgarian ex-PM

Most of Ukraine's defence needs were fulfilled through the American and British governments, the ex-prime minister noted. "It is very important that we have been in solidary with Ukraine along with the European partners and have been working together with them," he added.  "United Europe is showing its strength today and I don’t want my country to defend the aggressor," the former premier stressed. He was commenting on Bulgarian President Rumen Radev’s statement that Sofia wasn't involved in any international deal on arms supply to Kyiv. 

Last year, the Bulgarian Parliament passed a resolution with the majority to send munitions and bolster humanitarian, financial and military-technical assistance to the war-torn neighbouring Ukraine. the Bulgarian government had also announced that its military will repair damaged Ukrainian equipment in Bulgaria as Kyiv's forces continue to repel the invasion of their territory. 'We Continue the Change' proposed the draft resolution, which was approved by a vote of 200-16 with one abstention, Bulgarian News Agency (BNA) reported. 

'We Continue the Change', is an electoral alliance in Bulgaria led by a former caretaker Economy and a Finance Minister. It formed a coalition government in Bulgaria in December 2021. The resolution to send military assistance to Kyiv was majorly backed by the four parties of the Bulgarian government coalition. The former ruling GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) also backed the bill. Only the Nationalist Vazrazhdane Partry (NVP) voted against the resolution. Bulgaria also pledged to back Ukraine's energy needs by strengthening cooperation to make provisions for electricity and natural gas.

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Published March 27th, 2023 at 07:26 IST

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