Atanas Krastin

The Bulgarian ambassador to Russia, Atanas Krastin, will be notably absent from Vladimir Putin's upcoming inauguration ceremony, citing "personal reasons" for his inability to attend.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Bulgarian ambassador Atanas Krastin today to express to him "a firm protest in connection with the forced removal from Bulgaria under a fabricated pretext, in a blasphemous and insulting manner" of Nikolay Zmeev (Archimandrite Vasian), a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Sofia.

Russia has declared diplomats from the Bulgarian embassy in Moscow undesirable, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Later, the news was confirmed by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.

The measure is in response to the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats from Bulgaria in March.

The note for the expulsion was handed to our ambassador in Russia Atanas Krastin.

Bulgarian Ambassador to Russia Atanas Krastin, who paid a visit to the Russian Foreign Ministry earlier on Tuesday, received a note about Moscow's response to the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from Sofia.

Russia is expelling the Bulgarian military attache's aide Lieutenant-Colonel Mitko Borisov in retaliation for the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Sofia. A note to this effect was handed to Bulgaria's ambassador in Moscow Atanas Krastin, who was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday.

 Bulgaria considers the TurkStream gas pipeline as well as other similar projects extremely important for all international actors and is open to talks on becoming part of it, Bulgarian Ambassador to Moscow Atanas Krastin told Sputnik on Wednesday, reports Urdupoint. 

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has appointed Air Force Col Dimitar Stoyanov has been appointed as his Chief Secretary, the presidency's website shows.

Bulgarian Vice President Margarita Popova has thrown its support behind the united organization that is to represent Bulgarians living in Serbia, the President's press office has said.

The body is to be set up in the months to come, Bulgaria's Consul General Atanas Krastin is quoted as telling Popova at a meeting in the Serbian city in Nis.