Do you think that what is going on in Russia at present will have any adverse effects on Bulgaria and their people
What do the forum members think ?

How many countries did the Americans and BLAIR (British) went into with no rights to be there. ONE THEY DIDN'T GO INTO WAS NOT TO SORT OUT MURDERING Mugabe who murdered millions of his own people (NO PETROL). I don't know anything worse that hypocrites acting like GOD when not murdering innocents like our previous LABOUR government did. NONE of this would have happened if the EU had kept it's greed for power and size out of the Ukraine by trying to bribe them to join the POLITICAL GRAVY TRAIN. I'm concerned about William Hague's enthusiasm to get involved with all of this. If a war happens, we are very likely to get sucked in. Other countries like Bulgaria know perfectly well that Russia isn't interested in annexing them and obligating themselves to bail them out of whatever financial difficulties they may have gotten themselves into. The only way they could become part of Russia is by voting to do so, and then the Russian Duma would have to vote to accept them.

Bulgaria is a politically stable country with almost no Russians living here. What the US want to do is tighten its own grip on Europe by spreading fear and then placing american bases on Putin´s door step. Talk about veiled aggression and hypocrisy. Putin is a very dangerous man and will think nothing of taking whatever he wants. This man is no better than Hitler. A pure dictator.

I think I would be more worried about the wolf in sheep's clothing 'Merkel'

The spread of islam is our greatest enemy by far . It's insidious and threatens civilisation as we know it .

The real question is, who can afford to suffer most? Given that the EU is only just crawling out of a double dip recession and is heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas for some 35%, I think that Europe would shut up about the Ukraine within a year when Russia decides to turn off the tap. They might be able to get through the summer without Russian gas, but comes December all of Europe will be screaming for Russian gas to heat their homes. There are simply not enough tanker ships and terminals to supply an entire continent with gas from elsewhere. Russia will lose revenue, but the European economy will crash, Russia China and Iran have been working on a pipeline network between the three of them for many years now, so Russia is getting close to having the choice to whom it wants to sell its oil and gas..

Quote :

The spread of islam is our greatest enemy by far . It's insidious and threatens civilisation as we know it .

Don't really see what Islam has to do with this but you can't make such a rash statement about Islam, there is a great number of Islamists who are perfectly fine and live amongst us.

We in the west, and especially that clown in the White House bleat on about democracy, yet they are now recognising an unelected Ukrainian 'government' that has replaced the elected one by a 'coup dé tat. There is quite simply no way that Putin is going to let the Ukraine renege on a legally binding agreement that allows Russia to use Sevastopol as a naval base. I'm guessing that Obama will blink first because he is a weak president, and because of his inability to understand complex foreign policy. The U.S has always reverted to type when it comes to foreign policy. Throw dollars at it, when that doesn't work, throw bombs, and when that fails, go back to throwing dollars. However, in this dangerous situation, it will not work. Peace has only ever existed where there has been a balance of power and it is the West that is trying to upset this.

I don't see my comment as being "
rash "
in the slightest . You only have to look at the evidence from around the globe and look at what the Qur'an
teaches.

BGBound wrote:

I don't see my comment as being "
rash "
in the slightest . You only have to look at the evidence from around the globe and look at what the Qur'an
teaches.

I read Arabic and have read the Qur'an many times, I can assure you the Qur'an does not teach anyone to threaten or to be harmful.

Lets get this back on topic please.

Well said Netsniper.

Sometimes I wonder if the US is ' baiting ' Russia. Sometimes it does seem like the opinion of the ' international community ' is just an American opinion. I am no fan of Vlad and as every day passes he is mutating into a dictator. I also think he is falling hook, line and sinker, into a trap.

Aren't 95% of voters (wishing to be joined with Russia as opposed to Europe) to be listened to? "
Democracy when it suits"
springs to mind. I remember when the Irish voted NO to Europe, the EU/Politicians held more elections/referendums until they got the YES result they wanted (I wonder what will happen after the Scottish independence vote, neither side (yes or no) will be happy after the results).
As for effecting the tourist industry in Bulgaria in terms of Russian and Ukrainian visitors one can only guess, tho for the Russians' who wish to purchase in Bulgaria (should the EU allow) i expect to increase dramatically after this, there are many Russians who wish to hold assets outside of the Russian control, for various reasons!

My main reason for asking members this question was because I wondered what effect any EU sanctions might have and could possibly be put in place against Russians buying and/or holidaying in Bulgaria

Postby willowsend » 20 Mar 2014 23:21
Do you think that what is going on in Russia at present will have any adverse effects on Bulgaria and their people
What do the forum members think ?

I think that an effective state of war exists between Russia and Ukraine. The only question remaining is no whether Ukraine actually use military force (therefore giving the Russians the excuse they want) but whether the current provisional government has enough loyalty from the military to do so. So far, the Ukrainian military has shown a remarkable reluctance to put their necks on the line for "
the cause"
.

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Consultative Council for National Security reaches broad consensus on Crimea

President Rossen Plevneliev convened the Consultative Council for National Security to discuss the development of the crisis in Ukraine and the ensuing risks for Bulgaria. After almost five hours of deliberations, the Council reached a broad consensus on the Bulgarian position – that the country shall not recognize the results of the referendum in Crimea. Expectedly, Ataka party did not support this common stance. Its leader Volen Siderov left the Council, declaring it would be a bad mistake and that it runs against the country’s national interests. The official stand of the Consultative Council for National Security was, by a tradition, made public by the Bulgarian head of state.

“The Republic of Bulgaria is acting as an EU and NATO member state and takes into account its national interest"
, President Plevneliev said. "
Bulgaria is making efforts to ensure that the Union adopts a unified stance on the crisis in Ukraine. The Republic of Bulgaria supports the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The referendum conducted in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on 16 March violated the international law and the constitution of Ukraine and therefore the Republic of Bulgaria does not recognize its results.”

It is indicated further that “Bulgaria supports the signing of the political part of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, as well as the signing of the economic part after free and democratic presidential elections are held in Ukraine.” The focus in the stance and in the recommendations the Consultative Council makes is on the protection of the Bulgarian minority as well as the country’s economic and energy security:

“The Consultative Council for National Security insists that the Ukrainian authorities uphold the rights and freedoms of all citizens, including those belonging to different ethnic and religious minorities, among which is the 300,000-strong Bulgarian community. The Consultative Council for National Security believes that the diversification of the gas supplies, speeding up the construction of inter-connectors with neighboring countries and the development of gas deposits in the Black Sea shelf in the shortest possible terms is a national priority which has no alternative.”

The Council also discussed the possible economic risks to Bulgaria, commented by the politicians afterwards. In the words of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, large-scale sanctions against Russia are not very likely at this stage. As to Bulgaria’s support for such sanctions, he was laconic:

“We shall take part in the formation of a European position as we have always done. You want to hear me say “Yes” or “No” but in life answers are often between the “Yes” and the “No”. What I mean is that we shall form the European position via debates as an EU member and alongside the other member countries with positions similar to ours.”

“The losses Bulgaria stands to incur from possible economic sanctions against Russia will be enormous. Because inter-connectors or alternative gas supplies can become a reality in 5-10 years’ time at best,” says GERB party leader Boyko Borissov:

“We are against half-hearted sanctions. Such sanctions would be to the detriment of Bulgaria because they are in place over a long period. So, it is better not to have sanctions. The government must implement the decisions it has itself made at the European Council. We must endeavour to act as mediators for a swift settlement of this crisis. In power generation the risks are biggest, followed by tourism and I don’t mean just the revenues from tourism. Because American, Russian and who knows whose battleships are traversing the sea. And when the tourists see them, will they feel at their ease, I wonder? So, the entire region is in a difficult situation.”

The size of possible direct and indirect economic losses for Bulgaria in the event of economic sanctions being imposed on Russia would, at best, run to 1 – 6.5 percent of the country’s GDP, says Bulgarian Socialist Party MP Yanaki Stoilov and adds:

“It is imperative that the effect of such measures should not be tested on the citizens of Bulgaria. They might have one kind of effect in trade and economic terms, but quite another if they are accompanied by the respective sanctions. Trade and even more so energy supplies account for a major share in the relations between Bulgaria and Russia.”

Although until recently Bulgaria’s institutions did not see eye to eye on events in Crimea, at the Consultative Council for National Security they, as well as the parties represented in parliament, managed to achieve a relative consensus with the exception of Ataka.