|
Bulgarian foreign minister Ivailo Kalfin
|
The Bulgarian Post
2007-08-02 14:13:05
Bulgaria decided to waive $57m of debt owed by Libya following the release of six nurses convicted of infecting Libyan children with HIV. The money will be diverted to an international fund for the victims and their families.
The five medics who served eight years of the life sentences they received, had always claimed innocence. They were pardoned by the president upon their arrival in Sofia airport last month.
"With these funds Bulgaria aims to help Libya in its efforts to modernise its medical infrastructure, to contribute for the treatment of the HIV-infected children and for paying financial aid to their families," said a Bulgarian foreigm miniters Ivailo Kalfin.
The medics' release to Bulgaria was made possible by a deal for medical assistance and the normalisation of the diplomatic ties between Libya and the EU. Libya commuted to life imprisonment the death sentences imposed on the medics after the families of the infected children agreed to a compensation deal. It included $1 million compensation for each child. The money was donated by Qatar, Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. France agreed to provide equipment for the new hospital in Benghazi, where the infections took place.
Print This Article
Email This Article
