Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has distanced itself from Hristo Stoichkov’s statement on the recent referendum in Catalonia. Stoichkov who is an honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Barcelona told the Mexican Univision TV channel that the actions of the Spanish government are “utterly shameful” and that "the European community should act with a firm hand in what happened in Catalonia". Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that Stoichkov’s statement was a personal act and does not express the position of the ministry. “Bulgaria respects the constitutional order and the unity in Spain, as well as the respect for the rule of law as basic values for each EU member state. Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs voices its concern with the escalation of tension in the autonomous region Catalonia in the Spanish Kingdom. We believe that tension should be eased through political dialogue and under the law of the Kingdom of Spain”, the announcement of Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry reads.