Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has expressed a resolute protest over adoption of the Declaration on Administrative and Territorial Reform in Ukraine and Protection of Rights and Integrity of the Bulgarian Society on May 20, 2020 by the People's Assembly of Bulgaria.

"Questions of the administrative-territorial structure of Ukraine fall within the jurisdiction of state authorities of Ukraine. For us, attempts of interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine by a foreign state are completely unacceptable," reads a statement of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine issued by its press service on Wednesday evening.

According to the statement, allegations of the impact of reform on the national identity of ethnic Bulgarians of Ukraine are manipulative and unreliable.

"Protection of the rights and freedoms of representatives of all national minorities of our state, including and Bulgarian, is one of the fundamental priorities of the Ukrainian authorities and is implemented in strict accordance with the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1995). The Ukrainian side has repeatedly proved openness and willingness to contribute to the development of the national identity of Ukrainian citizens with ethnic Bulgarian origin. The rights of national minorities in Ukraine are enshrined in national law and are steadily protected by the state in accordance with modern European practices," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the issue of the Bolhradsky district of Odesa region will be resolved in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, taking into account the position of local residents, including the large Bulgarian community.

"We believe that any issues can be resolved through a constructive dialogue, which happens at the level of the foreign ministers of the two countries. We call on the Bulgarian parliamentarians to act in accordance with the principles of friendship and good neighborliness that traditionally exist between Ukraine and Bulgaria," the department said.