BURGAS – Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov sharply distanced himself from the official visit of Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov and Minister Ivan Ivanov to China, stating that it was "a purely party initiative" and that the cabinet had no involvement with it. Zhelyazkov's statement came during a meeting with journalists in Burgas, where he had arrived for another engagement but was visibly forced to answer questions about the two ministers' trip.
Ministers on paid annual leave for party exchange
Prime Minister Zhelyazkov clarified that Deputy Prime Minister Zafirov and Minister Ivanov were on paid annual leave during their visit. He shared that he, like the general public, was informed about the visit through the media.
"I also saw that they were in China on an official party visit," he added, describing the situation as outside the government's control.The Prime Minister speculated that the reason for the visit was likely "an exchange of party experience" between related socialist parties.
"They were neither sent by me, nor by the Council of Ministers, nor does the government have any involvement in the party initiatives of one of its coalition partners," the Prime Minister stressed.
The delicate balance of the coalition
Zhelyazkov used his words to emphasize the delicate nature of the ruling coalition. He recalled that it is composed of parties with "a very different party-political profile" and that only their common goals hold them together, not their differences. "If we were to look for differences, this government would very easily lose its coalition cohesion," he warned, revealing the potential political risks that such unilateral actions could create.
The Prime Minister concluded that the political consequences of such visits are entirely the responsibility of the respective party that organizes them.
The BSP visit and its controversial nature
The visit of the "BSP – United Left" delegation was confirmed to the media by the party's press center. The delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and BSP chairman Atanas Zafirov. Part of the delegation's program included a visit to the infrastructure company Shandon Hi Speed, which has expressed interest in implementing projects in Bulgaria as well.
The most controversial aspect of the visit, which also prompted the Prime Minister's distancing, is the delegation's participation as guests at the military parade in Beijing on September 3. The parade is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and in the World Anti-Fascist War. The participation of Bulgarian ministers in a military event of the Chinese state, without it being an official government visit, raises questions about the country's foreign policy coordination and creates potential tension with Bulgaria's international partners.