NEWS

The Bulgarian head of state thanks the Croatian state for its efforts to preserve the memory of the dead

 

During his official visit to Croatia, Head of State Rumen Radev paid tribute to the memory of Bulgarian officers and soldiers perished in the final stage of World War II in the battle against Nazism. The ceremony with military honours took place at the Bulgarian Military Cemetery in Vukovar, where 1,027 officers, sergeants and soldiers of the First Bulgarian Army are buried.

 

Together with the Croatian hosts, Head of State Rumen Radev today laid a wreath at the monument, which bears the names of the fallen Bulgarians. This year marks 80 years since the participation of the First Bulgarian Army in the final stage of World War II.

 

After the ceremony at the Bulgarian Military Cemetery, the President also laid a wreath at the Memorial to those who died in the Croatian Patriotic War (1991-1995), which is in close proximity to the Bulgarian monument in Vukovar.

 

As President of the Republic of Bulgaria, it was my duty to pay tribute to the memory of the fallen, both Bulgarians and Croats, Rumen Radev told Bulgarian and Croatian media. The head of state pointed out that the memorial to the victims of the Croatian Patriotic War, who bravely defended the life and freedom of their homeland, is a reminder that there is no such thing as a good war.

 

The Bulgarian head of state expressed gratitude to the Croatian side for preserving the memory and respect for the dead and taking care of the maintenance of the Bulgarian Military Cemetery and the memorial. It is precisely the memory of these events that can help us avoid further wars, which is very difficult today, said Rumen Radev, adding that unfortunately, wars are still being fought in which innocent people, women and children die.

 

Radev visited the Bulgarian War Cemetery and the Memorial to the Fallen in the Patriotic War of Croatia in Vukovar during the second day of his official visit to Croatia. Yesterday, he was welcomed by the country's President Zoran Milanovic and held meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament Gordan Jandrokovic and the Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic. We had full-fledged talks on a very wide range of issues from bilateral relations and regional problems, said Rumen Radev. Asked whether the topic of Sofia's relations with Skopje was discussed in the conversation with the Prime Minister, the President thanked the Croatian side for showing understanding and support for the situation with the rights of Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia during his talks in Zagreb. The more Bulgaria explains its thesis and we pay attention to the rights of our compatriots in North Macedonia, the more it becomes clear that this is not a bilateral issue, but a problem of the leadership of the Republic of North Macedonia, which the country must solve with the European institutions and finally fulfil the Copenhagen criteria for membership and the agreements that the government of North Macedonia undertook in 2022, Rumen Radev concluded.

Statement by Head of State Iliana Iotova

For projects aimed at improving connectivity between Bulgaria and Turkiye must be viewed as a whole, to be successful, and within the context of closer cooperation in Southeastern Europe. This will bolster both economic development and security in the region, whose strategic importance is growing. This was stated by President Iliana Iotova at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is on a formal visit to Bulgaria.

Albulena Haxhiu expressed her gratitude to President Iotova for Bulgaria’s support on Kosovo’s path toward membership in NATO and the European Union.

Iliana Iotova raised the issue of depopulation in the area along the Bulgarian-Serbian border and highlighted the need for investment to counter the adverse demographic trend.