Bulgaria Recalls Ambassador to Russia for Consultations Over Skripal Case

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Bulgarian authorities are recalling the country's ambassador to Russia for consultations in connection with the poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom, the Bulgarian government said Tuesday.

According to the statement, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov spoke with ambassador Boyko Kotzev to discuss the Skripal case and the international reaction to it.

"Prime minister Borissov has ordered that ambassador Kotzev returns to Sofia for consultations with the Bulgarian government," the statement read.

Earlier in the day, Ireland made a decision to expel one Russian diplomat in connection with Moscow's alleged involvement in the nerve agent attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the UK city of Salisbury.

READ MORE: Moscow Lambasts 'Lying US Accusations' Over Skripal Case

On Monday, a number of EU countries, as well as the United States, Canada, Albania, Norway, Ukraine, Macedonia and Australia, announced their decisions to expel about 100 Russian diplomats in connection with Moscow's alleged involvement in the nerve agent attack on Skripal and his daughter in the UK city of Salisbury.

The move came after the UK Prime Minister Theresa May accused Russia of the incident and ordered to expel 23 Russian diplomats from the country. Russia has denied the accusations and offered to help in the investigation.

Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence colonel who worked for UK intelligence, and his daughter Yulia have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 due to exposure to what the UK experts say was an A234 nerve agent.