EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Tuesday the implications of the Bulgarian investigation into the 2012 Burgas terrrorist attack "need to be assessed seriously as they relate to a terrorist attack on EU soil, which resulted in the killing and injury of innocent civilians."
Earlier on the day, Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov announced in Sofia "we have well-grounded reasons to suggest that the two people who carried out the bombing that killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver « were members of the military wing of Hezbollah."
The announcement by the Bulgarian authorities of the findings of their investigation puts even more pressure on the European Union to add Hezbollah on its list of terror organisations.
It would render illegal any financial transfer from the EU to Hezbollah or any member of that organization.
Ashton’s spokesperson said in a statement : "The High Representative takes note of the results of the investigation into the Burgas terrorist attack of 18 July 2012. She commends the Bulgarian authorities on the demanding investigation process."
"The High Representative condemns all terrorist acts, wherever they take place, and emphasises that the EU and Member States are committed to the fight against terrorism, whoever stands behind it. The terrorists who planned and carried out the Burgas attack must be brought to justice."
But Ashton underlined the "need for a reflection over the outcome of the investigation."
"The EU and Member States will discuss the appropriate response based on all elements identified by the investigators," she added.