The Ukrainian Embassy in Bulgaria condemned the illegal visit of several Bulgarian politicians and journalists to the occupied Crimea to attend a Week of Bulgarian Culture held on September 7-11.
This was stated in a statement by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Bulgaria, published on its Facebook page.
"The Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Bulgaria categorically condemns the illegal visit to the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by the representatives of the Ataka Party and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), as well as some journalists and public figures. The Russian occupation authorities cynically use ethnic Bulgarians in Crimea and their historical ties with their homeland to carry out a hybrid campaign aimed at legitimizing the occupation of the peninsula. The proof of this is the holding of the Bulgarian Culture Week in occupied Crimea on September 7-11, which the delegation from the Republic of Bulgaria visited," the report reads.
The embassy reminded that according to the Ukrainian legislation, entry and exit of foreigners to the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea are allowed only by special permission of the competent authorities of Ukraine through checkpoints of entry and exit, and administrative and criminal liability is provided for violation of the established procedure.
The Ukrainian Embassy urged all citizens and representatives of all branches of power and political parties of the Republic of Bulgaria to refrain from visiting the occupied Crimea, as well as contacts with the illegal occupation authorities of the peninsula.