Defence Minister Zapryanov expects that Sofia will be invited to the ''coalition of willing'' on Ukraine

''Bulgaria can have a strong voice within the European family, rather than waiting for different groups within Europe to decide for us'', Vice President Iliana Iotova said after the official ceremony in Sofia on the occasion of March 3. Iliana Iotova said that the absence of Bulgaria from the London meeting on Ukraine has been exaggerated and reminded that other countries also did not attend the forum. She emphasized that the formation of various groups of countries is not good when the unity in Europe is threatened. The place for such discussions is at the summits, said Vice President Iotova.

''The fact that Bulgaria did not take part in the London meeting on Ukraine is not a bad sign, because a ''coalition of the willing'' is still being created and it is yet to be decided what its mandate will be. Once that is clear, I am confident that all countries will be invited to participate according to their own judgment'', Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov commented on the occasion of the latest meeting on Ukraine held in the UK.