Israel, Bulgaria explore tourism

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JERUSALEM, July 31 (UPI) -- Israeli officials said they were eager to encourage Bulgarian tourists to visit the country as both sides examine affairs after a suicide bombing in mid July.

Bulgarian Tourism Minister Delyan Dobrev arrived in Israel for a visit this week. His arrival comes two weeks after Israeli tourists were killed in a suicide attack in the Bulgarian city of Burgas.

A series of diplomatic exchanges are scheduled for September and October, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports.

Israeli officials blamed Iran and Shiite movement Hezbollah for the bombing. Iranian officials denied any role in the operation and Bulgarian officials had said it was too early to issue blame for the attack.

Surveillance video from the scene depicted a white male believed to be the suspected bomber. British newspaper The Daily Mail said there are renewed questions about the identity of the suspected bomber, however.

The Daily Mail quoted Kosyo Yankov, who is said to have taken part in the autopsy of the bomber, as saying the attacker "has nothing to do with the slim man caught by the security cameras at the Burgas airport."