Bulgarian Party Delegation At BRICS Forum

The Bulgarian pro-Russian party, Revival, which ranks as the third largest group in the national parliament, is set to send a delegation to a BRICS forum in Moscow later this month. This decision has raised eyebrows, particularly as Bulgaria does not maintain formal relations with the BRICS nations. Revival, which holds limited influence at the local government level, aims to engage with countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE during the forum. Revival's leader, Kostadin Kostadinov, emphasized the forum's potential for fostering diplomatic relations and partnerships globally. He stated that the event would allow for the exchange of ideas and business communications with Russian entrepreneurs. However, he also stressed the importance of Bulgaria's foreign policy being independent and aligned with national interests. In addition to the Moscow forum, Revival plans to participate in a BRICS summit in China in November, following an invitation from a Chinese Communist Party official. This move comes on the heels of Revival's previous engagement with Putin's United Russia party, which coincided with the announcement of its alignment with the far-right Identity and Democracy group in the European Parliament. Currently, Revival is part of the Sovereignist group in the European Parliament and is following the trajectory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which was expelled from the ID group due to controversial remarks made by its leading candidate. The party's actions reflect a growing trend of far-right affiliations within European politics.