Bulgaria Grants USD 20 000 to Young Talents Hasan, Ibrahim

Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov (sitting) with twin brothers Hasan and Ibrahim, their father, and their two sisters. Photo by Government Information Service

The Bulgarian government on Wednesday voted to give USD 20 000 to twin pianists Hasan and Ibrahim to help them perform abroad.

The money was allocated as funding for international events ahead of a long-expected performance of the two brothers at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Announced at a cabinet meeting, the decision was not part of the agenda sent out to the media following the Ministerial Council session.

In an address aired by the Bulgarian National Television, Hasan and Ibrahim Ignatovi were present on both sides of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Borisov then announced: "these sweet boys, you know them very well, the whole country, except for us, took a picture with them. Now they have to go to New York and St Petersburg and no-one gives them either from [their] municipality or from [anywhere else]."

Borisov later posted on Facebook his pictures with the boys, their father and their two sisters, alongside Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov and Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova.

Hasan and Ibrahim's family had earlier begun a fundraising campaign to help them travel to New York and other venues where they are to be in concert. 

Alongside 10-year-old Krisia, the boys came second in the 2014 Junior Eurovision song contest.

The three children also jointly won the Personality in the News poll of Novinite's Bulgarian-language service in its Culture section.

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