Western sanctions against Russia need to be lifted as soon as possible — German MP

SOFIA, July 8. /TASS/. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has told TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman Wednesday he wants sanctions against Russia to be lifted as soon as possible.

"It is the time of sanctions now. On the one hand, sanctions were imposed on Russia, on the other side, Russia introduced counter-sanctions against the European Union. Everybody loses from this situation. Sanctions cannot be beneficial for any economy," Borissov said.

Bulgaria supported the imposition of sanctions as a loyal member of NATO and EU, but the country is losing a lot because of these restrictive measures. "A considerable part of tourism, agriculture and trade is connected with Russia. That is why we sustain big losses. Of course, the situation is also nerve-wracking for the Moscow leadership. It is not a coincidence that President [Vladimir] Putin has made some harsh statements about Bulgaria. I am sure that he had reasons for that," the prime minister noted.

"As a result, we were wrongfully accused, though we had no intention to make relations between Bulgaria and Russia cooler. I hope that big bosses [EU and US] will soon figure everything out and lift sanctions," he concluded.