Bulgaria President Urges Unity, Tolerance on Unification Anniversary

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has called on Bulgarians to be tolerant and work together for the sake of their country.

He has called for a joint European response to the situation of the past months as Europe is trying to deal with an unprecedented influx of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa.

Plevneliev delivered a speech during the celebrations on Sunday evening marking 130 years since the Unification of 1885 - the day when the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia merged after eight years of externally imposed division.

The head of state praised Bulgarians for their "brave" decision to revise the rulings of the Treaty of Berlin" which divided Bulgaria into several patches of land in 1878.

He also addressed the current migrant crisis, first making a reference to the Unification and the nationwide support it enjoyed among diverse ethnic and religious groups living on Bulgaria's territory.

130 years ago "the entire Bulgarian nation - Christians, Muslims, Armenians [sic!] and Jews - jointly fought for and defended the Unification," he said, quoting a foreign correspondent who was in Bulgaria at the time.

Plevneliev also warned that many problems in Europe, such as the current migrant crisis, could not be overcome through the effort of a single country.

"Will egoism prevail in Europe by curbing fundamental human rights - for example those of refugees? Refugees are people like us. They are fathers and mothers, engineers and teachers. They are human beings in need. They are fleeing the horrors of war and the terror machine of Islamic State."

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