Bulgarian Expats Welcome President Plevneliev in Hungary

Bulgarian President, Rosen Plevneliev (l), is on a 2-day official visit to Hungary on the invitation of Hungarian counterpart, Janos Ader (r). Photo by EPA/BGNES . Photo by BGNES

Bulgarians in Hungary have asked President, Rosen Plevneliev, to have the State assist them to reopen the Bulgarian school in Budapest.

Plevneliev, who is on an official visit to Hungary on Tuesday and Wednesday, met with the Bulgarian community there. At the meeting, the principal of the school, Svetla Kioseva, explained it was closed in 2011, but the expats are doing everything they can to keep it in operation. The school has been included in Hungary's education system and is now functioning only as a Sunday one.

"The issue is not only the funding, but a matter of strategy – does Bulgaria want to have generations in Hungary speaking Bulgarian? We also need to find and invite native Bulgarian teachers and secure money for their salaries and accommodations," said Kioseva.

Plevneliev pledged his full assistance.

Other issues raised by the expats revolved around ownership of the building in Budapest, which houses the Bulgarian Republican "Self-Government" in Hungary, and other Bulgarian institutions, as the kindergarten and the school, and an alleviated procedure for acquiring a Bulgarian passport.

Plevneliev invited Bulgarians in Hungary to invest in their homeland, particularly in the farming sector.

He noted the Bulgarian community in Hungary has very good reputation in Bulgaria and was seen as a symbol of prosperity and solidarity, while the Hungarian people have accepted it and are respecting it for the hard work, the integrity, and the historical ties between the two countries.

He thanked the Hungarian State for its support for Bulgarian expats.

On Tuesday, Plevneliev met with Hungarian counterpart, Janos Ader. His schedule also includes meetings with the Speaker of the National Assembly Laszlo Kover, and Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics.

Wednesday evening, the two presidents will attend a concert of the Filip Kutev Folk Dance Ensemble and the folklore ensemble of the Bulgarian community in Hungary – Yantra.

During his visit to Hungary, Plevneliev is also opening an exhibit in Budapest titled Difficult Choice of Great Importance – the Fate of Bulgarian Jews, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during WWII.

The delegation further includes caretaker Minister of Education, Youth and Science, Nikolay Miloshev, and caretaker Minister of Culture, Vladimir Penev.

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