Bulgaria can be an example in the world with the fact that for centuries we have built tolerance towards religions and religious denominations, Head of State Rumen Radev told Bulgarian journalists in New York in relation to his participation in a top-level event, dedicated to the protection of religious freedoms, organized and moderated by the US President. The participation of the Bulgarian President is at the invitation of his American counterpart Donald Trump. Rumen Radev called for greater tolerance to the understanding of the cultural codes of different societies.
Bulgaria and the USA are strategic allies, friends and partners and, in my opinion, there should be no restrictions for the visas for Bulgarian citizens, Rumen Radev said in reply to a journalist’s question after the forum. He added that lifting the visa regime will contribute to deepening the investment and trade cooperation and tourism. The President said that still we are speaking of American legislation and Bulgaria should do its best to ensure that the percentage of refusals of visas for our compatriots decreases.
Taking a question related to guaranteeing media freedom in Bulgaria, Rumen Radev said that the most serious threat in our country is auto-censorship. “Seemingly there may be freedom and it could be argued that there is no interference in the work of the media, yet such conditions, financial dependencies and organizational regulations may be created that make the journalists censor themselves,” the President said and added that media freedom is a complicated concept, consisting of many components. Rumen Radev added that Bulgaria needs clear criteria for signing agreements and for the allocation of EU funds and programs for advertisements in the media.