site.btaAgency for Expat Bulgarians Head Meets Members of Bulgarian Community in Hungary

The Executive Director of the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad Rayna Mandzhukova met with representatives of the Bulgarian community in Hungary, where key issues related to the life and challenges of the community were discussed, the Agency said Monday on its website.

Among those present were Hristo Polendakov, Bulgarian Ambassador to Hungary, Dancho Musev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Republican Self-Government, Simeon Varga, Bulgarian Advocate in the Hungarian National Assembly, Dimitar Tanev, President of the Society of Bulgarians in Hungary, Vanya Kotorova, Director of the Bulgarian Native Language School and other representatives of the community.

One of the most pressing problems that concerns Bulgarians in Hungary is the lack of Bulgarian language teachers for the youngest children in the city of Sarmellek and Budapest, which hampers efforts to transmit the Bulgarian spirit and cultural heritage to the younger generation, while creating the danger of irreversible assimilation, the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad noted.

Another important issue for Bulgarians in Hungary is related to the difficulties in obtaining citizenship. According to them, complicated procedures often discourage young people who want to keep their ties with Bulgaria. The Agency stressed that this is a matter of national responsibility and priority, because without citizenship Bulgarians abroad remain symbolically separated from their homeland.

During the meeting, Rayna Mandzhukova presented a plaque of honour to Dimitar Tanev on occasion of the 110th anniversary of the Society of Bulgarians in Hungary, an institution that has united the Bulgarian community there for more than a century.