Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova was not invited to attend the opening session of the 52nd National Assembly, according to parliamentary sources cited by Club Z. The new parliament began its work on the same day.

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Traditionally, the first sitting of the National Assembly is attended by foreign diplomats in Bulgaria, who are invited alongside representatives of national institutions for the ceremonial opening. However, this time Mitrofanova was excluded from the guest list.

Parliamentary records indicate that lawmakers decided to keep the existing list of invited embassies unchanged from 2024. According to unofficial information, the decision was also supported by the newly formed parliamentary majority, which is dominated by ?Progressive Bulgaria,? the political force associated with Rumen Radev.

The group has previously faced accusations of having a pro-Russian orientation, a claim its representatives reject. No official statement was issued linking the decision directly to political positioning, but the unchanged protocol list effectively maintained the status quo regarding diplomatic invitations.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Mitrofanova has repeatedly been left out of official Bulgarian institutional events. This latest exclusion continues the pattern of her absence from formal state occasions.

The decision comes in a broader context of strained diplomatic relations between Sofia and Moscow in recent years, with limited high-level contact and reduced participation of Russian representatives in Bulgarian state ceremonies.

?Traditionally, foreign diplomats in Bulgaria receive an invitation to the ceremonial first session together with the heads of Bulgarian institutions,? parliamentary practice notes indicate, underscoring that the absence of the Russian ambassador marks a deviation from earlier diplomatic protocol.