The Bulgarian engineer, who was kidnapped a week ago, is alive and in good health, the spokesperson of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Dragovest Goranov stated on Wednesday.
Goranov explained that negotiations for the engineer’s release were ongoing, adding that he was optimistic about the outcome since from 160 kidnapping cases in Nigeria over the last several years, most have concluded with the hostage’s release.
Goranov pointed out that the ransom amount of USD 4,200,000, which, according to the Reuters information agency, the kidnappers have requested, was too high.
“The entire Bulgarian State is helping with whatever they can. Any negotiation is a difficult matter, especially when considering the fact that we are dealing with the unknown here – with people, who act in an uncivilized, unacceptable manner. But I remain optimistic,” Goranov concluded.
The spokesperson further expressed his optimism regarding the case of another recently kidnapped Bulgarian – Danka Pachova, who is still held as hostage in Somalia.
The Bulgarian, who was illegally kept under arrest in a Russian jail for over five months is coming back home in days, Goranov announced.