Those who died in the terrorist attack at Sarafovo airport will not be forgotten, and the lives unjustly taken are a warning that with common efforts we must all stand up against evil, President Rumen Radev said during the commemorative ceremony in Burgas on the 11th anniversary of the Sarafovo airport bombing. One Bulgarian and five Israeli citizens died in the terrorist attack on 18 July 2012.
In his address, President Radev recalled the timely response of the Bulgarian institutions in the first minutes after the bombing to save the lives of the wounded, as well as the joint actions with the Israeli side to identify the perpetrators. Bulgaria and Israel will continue their joint resolute efforts in the fight against this evil phenomenon - modern terrorism, fully developing bilateral relations, the head of state said. He called for an even more effective work by the institutions and services of both countries to prevent and protect against terrorist threats.
The President stressed that Bulgaria and Israel have deep historical and friendly ties, a similar destiny and a long-standing partnership. This year we are jointly celebrating the 80th anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews - an unprecedented act of tolerance and humanism in Europe during the darkest years of the Second World War, the head of state said. With the joint efforts of a number of Bulgarian politicians, senior clerics, intellectuals, public figures, professional associations and, above all, thousands of Bulgarian citizens, we ensured that not a single Bulgarian Jew was deported to the death camps, President Radev said, adding that the Bulgarian Jewish community increased its numbers during World War II.