Bulgarian Ambassador in Kyiv Kostadin Kodzhabashev was summoned to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Friday over statements by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who called Crimea a Russian territory during a debate.

"The Ukrainian side communicated to the ambassador the position of our state that the statements made by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Crimea during yesterday's pre-election TV debate are inappropriate and unacceptable," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a comment published on its site.

"It was emphasized that the incumbent Bulgarian president's words do not promote the development of good-neighborly relations between Ukraine and Bulgaria and sharply differ from the official position of Sofia in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state in its internationally recognized borders," the report said.

The ministry said it expects Radev to refute his statement.

"Kodzhabashev stated Bulgaria's unchanged position on support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea as an integral part of the territory of our state, and the efforts to de-occupy the peninsula, in particular, by Bulgaria's participation in the work of the Crimea Platform," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

The president of Bulgaria called Crimea a Russian territory during a debate, saying the sanctions against Russia are ineffective.