NEWS

President Plevneliev: This attack will not be forgotten, and such cruelty will not be tolerated

The terrorist attack on tourists from Israel has shocked us by its cruelty. This attack will not be forgotten, and such cruelty will not be tolerated. This was said by President Rosen Plevneliev in a telephone conversation with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, in connection with the terrorist attack at Sarafovo airport. President Plevneliev informed Herman Van Rompuy that Bulgaria was working with all services to identify the organisers of the attack and all connected with it as swiftly as possible.

President Plevneliev emphasised that this is the first such incident in the history of Bulgaria and it would be very carefully analyzed. Bulgarian foreign policy is very balanced, and our country is a good neighbour and respected partner, is a symbol of tolerance and understanding, and that makes such an act of cruelty even more unacceptable, President Plevneliev said.

He told President Van Rompuy that there had been no indications of a possible terrorist act, while the bomber’s profile describes him as an intelligent young man and a typical vacationer at a destination popular with Israeli tourists, such as Bulgaria. Since the beginning of his year alone, about 260 000 Israelis have visited Bulgaria, President Plevneliev said.

All this shows that we have a new, more dangerous type of terrorism, President Van Rompuy said. He said that just weeks ago he had been in Burgas and he described it as a peaceful and beautiful city with a small and comfortable airport. “For that reason, I'm even more shocked by the bombing,” President Van Rompuy said. He underlined that the European Union and Bulgaria together would punish, with all their strength and solidarity, those guilty of this barbaric act of terrorism.