2024-04-21 01:32:00
Stefan Dimitrov and Glavchev agreed face to face that they would try better communication. Mitov himself refused – he did not want to be a bone of contention
Acting Foreign Minister Stefan Dimitrov remains in his post. At least for now. The reason – the dialogue between him and Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev has started. And on Friday, the only one officially proposed to replace him – the deputy head of GERB, Daniel Mitov, withdrew his candidacy.
The decision for Dimitrov to remain the first diplomat is still not final, and unofficially the expectations are that Glavchev will come up with a new name in the future. As “24 Chasa” wrote, he wanted to bet on a career diplomat with serious legal or at least administrative experience given the upcoming elections that the MFA is organizing abroad. And if not – possible failures will be counted on the account of the president.
The tension surrounding Dimitrov’s replacement has been around since the beginning of the week, when the caretaker prime minister surprisingly asked the president to appoint Daniel Mitov as foreign minister in his place. This happened on the day Boyko Borisov criticized Dimitrov. But then the leader of GERB defined this as an “absolute coincidence”.
However, Mitov’s candidacy was not supported by Rumen Radev. As a reason, he indicated that he is the deputy chairman of GERB. And he insisted on talking with Glavchev.
“If he does not comply with my proposals, the responsibility will be his,” the acting prime minister from Brussels replied. But he responded to the meeting as soon as he got home from the meeting of the European Council.
He and Radev talked for nearly an hour on Friday morning at Dondukov 2.
I haven’t offered anything. We continue communication with the president. I have no news to report. Until the President issues a decree, the old ministers carry out their duties, was Glavchev’s only comment after the meeting. In addition to Dimitrov’s replacement, he also wants that of Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev with the current head of the “Agriculture” fund, Georgi Takhov, who is said to be fully approved by the president. Radev, however, did not sign a decree for any of the castings.
I remain a minister until the decree of the president, Stefan Dimitrov himself announced hours later. He said that after the end of Friday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers, the two had a conversation with Glavchev, in which they agreed that they would try to improve communication between them.
However, he vowed to resign himself,
if they fail to work together and accordingly he fulfills his commitments.
Until now I have been silent for certain reasons – to observe propriety and not to increase the tension. I’m not a politician, I’m a diplomat. I do not participate in election campaigns, and I will not participate, added Dimitrov.
Obviously, there were some misunderstandings in the communication between me and the prime minister.
One ambassador’s phone is on 24 hours, I have three phones, i.e. this for me
it is not a problem, the issue is the communication between us, emphasized the minister.
According to unofficial information, one of the reasons why Glavchev wants his replacement is precisely that – that he did not pick up his phone on the night of April 13-14, when Iran shelled Israel. And hours later, he released a position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which he did not agree with the prime minister.
However, Dimitrov himself defined the rumors about “not answering the phone” as false. He also assured that the position of our country towards Israel and Iran has not changed. This also applied to our attitude towards Ukraine, for which there were also criticisms that it had changed.
Another rumor that circulated was that Dimitrov had refused a meeting with NATO Assistant Secretary James O’Brien.
However, such was held on April 15 and was never canceled, Dimitrov explained. “I don’t think anyone can pressure me to see Mr. O’Brien. The meeting was held – one hour, in a very good atmosphere, we exchanged a lot of partnership experience with the American side. It was also attended by the US ambassador Kenneth Merten”, he stressed.
On Friday, he met Ambassador Merten
and Glavchev Officially, the cabinet announced that they had discussed energy topics.
By refusing to issue a decree for his appointment to the post, Radev failed the test for his geopolitical orientation, Daniel Mitov said, after he himself withdrew his candidacy for foreign minister. Therefore, the responsibility now rested with the president. “Just as he was not going to interfere, he intervened. The foreign minister is his and he bears all the responsibility”, said the deputy head of GERB.
He explained that he accepted to be a minister not as an end in itself, but because it is important in this situation to have a foreign policy course that is pro-Atlantic, pro-NATO, pro-European. But he refuses so as not to become a “discord” or a figure that divides society or prevents institutions from doing their job.
According to Mitov, however, in this situation and with a changed constitution, in which party balances are sought, and in a caretaker government – with representatives of all significant parties, it was not a problem for political and party colored people to occupy ministerial seats.
My disappointment is with the position of PP-DB. Instead of supporting our nomination, of Glavchev, they preferred to enter into the logic of President Radev and support his position. So I can reassure Radev – as they were with him during his re-election, so now we can safely say to him: Relax, Mr. President, PP-DB continue to be with you, Mitov said.
Party leader Boyko Borisov expressed the same position.
According to Mitov, the position of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Society was indicative of what kind of minister remains in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “This is an organization of red diplomats, communist creatures, in which Stefan Dimitrov’s brother – Georgi Dimitrov, whom I have gladly dismissed twice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also participates,” said Daniel Mitov.