Bulgaria Among The Authors Of UN Resolution On Crimea

Bulgaria was among the authors of the UN resolution, condemning the annexation of Crimea by Russia, said a diplomatic source, quoted by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). 

Bulgaria, together with all EU member states voted in favour of the resolution of the UN General Assembly, which called the act “illegal” and affirmed Ukraine's territorial integrity. 

The vote on the Ukraine-sponsored resolution, which took place on Thursday, was 100 countries in favor, 11 opposed and 58 abstentions. 

The 11 countries who voted against are: Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, North Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. 

The high number of votes in favor came as a surprise, as Russia put a lot of lobbying efforts. Diplomats were expecting a count of 80-90 votes supporting the resolution and a much higher number of abstentions. 

Resolutions from the UN General Assembly, unlike those from the Security Council, are non-binding. So a vote for or against a measure - like the one Thursday that says Crimea's referendum to break away from Ukraine was not valid - doesn't mean any action will be taken.