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Iliana Iotova opened the exhibition of Thracian treasures, held under her patronage

 

Bulgaria has one of the oldest state traditions in Europe, an old land with many layered cultures, many influences. Bulgarian history has shown that you can put victory on the tip of the spear, but the greater victory is the victory of literacy, culture, spirituality. Bulgarians are proud bearers of spirituality and culture. With these words Vice President Iliana Iotova addressed the 500 people gathered at the opening of the Ancient Thrace and the Ancient World. Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania and Greece exhibition. More than 90 percent of all exhibits in the exhibition, which is held under the patronage of the vice president, are Bulgarian artefacts. Fourteen Bulgarian museums are participating with over 150 objects in the exhibition, which will last until 3 March 2025. The co-organisers of the exhibition are the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Culture.

 

When Dr Timothy Potts, director of the Getty Museum, and his team presented their idea to me in my office in Sofia a few years ago, they immediately won me over as an ally. And seven years later, this massive project is a fact, the Vice President said. Iotova thanked the efforts of the National Historical Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, pointing out that it is a leader in archaeological research in Southeastern Europe, among the leading scientific centres throughout Europe. The Vice President also highlighted the support of the Ministry of Culture.

 

The most important mission of this exhibition is not to break the link between generations, to preserve the knowledge of human kind. The exhibition shows not only fine objects, but the philosophy of a people with an extremely high spiritual culture. The most ancient message is that man is strong when he is together with others, then every difficulty recedes, Iliana Iotova said.

 

In her address, the Vice President pointed out that in 1972 the world's first specialised Institute of Thracology was established in Bulgaria. She quoted the words of its long-time director and world-renowned scholar Prof Alexander Fol: The spirit is humiliated when it cannot be compared with another spirit, but must be compared with the strength of the muscles. Unfortunately, today the spirit often meets the brute force of the muscles. But there are no muscles that can defeat the spirit - that is what history has bequeathed us, Iotova stressed. The Vice President presented the museum director with a replica of a rhyton from the Panagyurishte Treasure.

The Head of State holds a meeting with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO at the US Department of Defense

In recent years, Bulgaria and Greece have raised bilateral cooperation in the development of energy and infrastructure connectivity to a new level. This was the common position of the presidents of the two countries, Rumen Radev and Konstantinos Tasoulas, who held a meeting today within the framework of the Delphi Economic Forum.

Every country in the Balkans has its own perspective on history, but one of the most important historical lessons is that after centuries of rivalries and contradictions, we have finally realized that cooperation is a much better choice than wars, said the president of the Delphi Economic Forum

President Radev stressed that Bulgaria's accession to the OECD is a key foreign policy goal for our country, which all responsible institutions are working consistently to achieve