In an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) European Commission Vice President for the Budget and Human Resources Kristalina Georgieva informed that three employees of the European Commission (EC) were among the hundreds of people injured in the terrorist attacks that rocked the Belgian capital city on Tuesday.

“It was a blow at the heart of Europe. For yet another time this comes to show us that the world has changed – more risks, the radicalisation and the Islam are everywhere. We should be ready to face this world. This means that the security services should do their job and the society should be more sensitive towards this risk. This means to be united in the protection of our values and way of life,” Ms Georgieva said commenting on yesterday’s attack. 

The Vice President of the European Commission stressed that the terrorist groups mastered huge territories in different parts of the world where they wished to impose their ideas about what life should be through fear.

“Big part of these people is born here in Belgium or in France, or in any other EU member states. How come we miss to see the different signs of this hatred, which leads them to destroying the happiness and killing innocent people? The problem has three aspects. The first one is the foreign policy – what happens in the countries infected by conflicts. We should focus on stabilising these countries and helping the people in trouble as a result of these wars. In the second place there are external borders, the safety system. And the third one is for the society to be prepared to live in this new world,” Kristalina Georgieva said further.

 

“Terrorist attacks in Brussels are a purposeful blow at the symbol of Europe by the terrorists,” Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs and Minister of Education and Science Meglena Kuneva said commenting on the attacks speaking for Radio FOCUS.

“The attacks come a week before the Catholic Easter, which brings extra colours and makes the context stronger,” Ms Kuneva remarked.

“Apart from the compassion, anger, decisiveness, apart from the boldness of all Europeans and the determination that we will not give up on our values and the things we believe in, there were also certain other touches that are worth analysing. One of them concerns the coordination and the common actions and whether we can improve them,” Ms Kuneva remarked.

The Deputy Prime Minister added that what the terrorism targeted so far was the Schengen area.

 

“Terrorist attacks will continue unless the great powers unite against the brain trust Islamic State,” said General Brigo Asparuhov, former director of the National Intelligence Service, speaking for Radio FOCUS.

The expert commented further that the wise European men, including the USA and Russia, should unite their efforts and invest much in intelligence and counter-intelligence.

“United efforts, hard work round the clock, this is what we need to solve the brain trust of Islamic State, to find who plans the attacks, where and how,” General Asparuhov remarked.

 

“There are no grounds for panic among the Bulgarian society because of the terrorist attacks in Brussels,” said Valeri Simeonov, Co-chairperson of the Patriotic Front, speaking for Radio FOCUS.

He remarked that Bulgaria was not a possible target of terrorism.

“Bulgaria is not among the countries that are possible targets of terrorism and this is explained with different reasons. Bulgaria is not a country that takes part in the united actions against Islamic State. We do not conduct aggressive policy against the Islam. 

We cannot speak of any danger or huge risk,” the politician added.