French president Nicolas Sarkozy today received Bulgaria's top honour for his role in the freeing of Bulgarian medics from a Libyan jail during a visit Paris hopes will help seal major commercial deals.
Five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death on accusations of deliberately infecting 460 Libyan children with HIV were freed on 24 July after the European Union brokered a cooperation deal with Tripoli.
Mr Sarkozy had sent his wife Cecilia to Libya as his envoy.
Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov presented Mr Sarkozy with the 'Stara Planina' medal, the highest national honour.
'The tragedy of the Bulgarian medics was not only a tragedy of the Bulgarian people, but also of Europe and France,' Mr Sarkozy said after the ceremony.
'Every European member should rely on the solidarity of the others.'
The Sarkozys' role in the affair spurred controversy in France and irritated some EU officials who said the French president was claiming credit at the last minute after Brussels had spent three years patiently negotiating with Tripoli.
