site.btaNational Assembly Chair Glavchev: "Parliament Prioritizes Keeping in Touch with Expat Bulgarians"

Kyiv, September 24 (BTA) - "Maintaining contacts with the Bulgarians resident abroad and protecting their interests figure among the priorities of the National Assembly," Bulgarian National Assembly Chairman Dimiter Glavchev said at a meeting with members of the Bulgarian community in Odessa, quoted by Parliament's Press Centre.

Glavchev paid a two-day visit to Ukraine at the head of a parliamentary delegation which included National Assembly Deputy Chair Tsveta Karayancheva, Bulgaria-Ukraine Friendship Group Chair Milen Mihov, Group Deputy Chairman Georgi Yordanov and MP Ahmed Ahmedov.

Glavchev stressed that the Bulgarian community acts as a bridge in the relationship between the two peoples and facilitates an invigoration of bilateral relations in various spheres. He voiced concern over the passage of the new Law "On Education" which, in Bulgaria's view, poses a risk of affecting the rights of the over 200,000-strong Bulgarian national minority in Ukraine if the changes in educational curricula intended to broaden the study of Ukrainian are carried out at the expense of the study of the mother tongue.

"The officials we have met in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Embassy in Sofia have assured us that these innovations will not lead to a restriction of the right of the Bulgarian national minority to be taught in its mother tongue," Glavchev added. "We are convinced that carrying on the policy of preservation of the traditions, language and customs of the Bulgarian communities in Ukraine in line with its Constitution and international commitments is the best guarantee that our fellow countrymen will continue to be a bridge of Ukraine's cooperation with Bulgaria and the EU and a factor of translating its European perspective into reality," he pointed out.

"We can proudly note that the Ukrainian citizens of Bulgarian descent exhibit many of the best traits of the Bulgarian nation," Glavchev said. "As loyal citizens of Ukraine, they keep their feelings for their ancient motherland and wish to preserve their Bulgarian traditions, language and identity. That is why we attach particular importance to the well-being of these people," he added, expressing the hope that the problems will be candidly discussed and solved jointly with the Ukrainian authorities with which "a fine level of interaction has been achieved."