Vice President Iliana Iotova paid a visit to the Vasil Levski Bulgarian Theoretical Lyceum in Chisinau on Tuesday. Her visit comes after the Day of the Bessarabian Bulgarians (October 29) and on the eve of the National Awakeners' Day (November 1).
Iotova was received by the school staff and students, who performed Bulgarian songs and recited poems.
Addressing Bulgarians in the Moldovan capital, the Vice President said that it was great to come back years after her previous visit. “How much has this place changed in just a few years. Not many schools and institutions undergo such a huge change,” Iotova added.
“The Vasil Levski Lyceum in Chisinau is a very significant part of the spiritual empire that we call Bulgaria. It is part of one of the oldest countries in Europe, which certainly has the oldest state tradition,” Iotova said, adding that Bulgaria has a history spanning more than 13 centuries.
“We should all have the confidence of successors of great personalities, of a long history fraught with tragedy but also rich with greatness, which created a whole new civilization - the Slavic civilization, preserving the work of Cyril and Methodius, the Cyrillic alphabet. Today, over 300 million people around the world write in this alphabet,” Iotova noted.
The Bulgarian Vice President talked about the meetings she had held with Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and relayed their commitment to have Bulgarian language taught at Moldovan schools.
“We have great ideas for further increasing the size and capacity of the university in Taraclia. We have received assurances and guarantees that you will not only be able to study your mother tongues but also be encouraged to do so,” Iotova said.
Vasil Levski Bulgarian Theoretical Lyceum Director Natalia Yaroslavskaya pointed out that the Lyceum has the support of the Moldovan state, the education ministries of Bulgaria and Moldova, the Bulgarian Embassy in Moldova and Bulgarian patrons.
“At present, there are 349 students studying at the Lyceum. A large number of the graduates pursue their education in higher education institutions in Bulgaria,” Yaroslavskaya noted. She added that the Lyceum is a place where students are taught not only to speak and write in Bulgarian, but also to study Bulgarian culture, history and traditions. A total of 42 teachers work at the Lyceum, four of whom are seconded by the Bulgarian Education Ministry.
Earlier in the day, Iliana Iotova held a meeting with Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
/MR/
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