site.btaVice President Iotova Attends Opening of Monument to Bulgarian Revolutionary Hristo Botev in Serbian Town of Dimitrovgrad

Sofia, September 19 (BTA) - Vice President Iliana Iotova participated in the opening of a monument of Bulgarian revolutionary and poet Hristo Botev (1848-1876) in the Serbian town of Dimitrovgrad, which is one of the centres of the Bulgarian minority in Serbia, said the President's Press Secretariat Tuesday.

Iotova stressed the importance of having pre-school age children study in their mother tongue next year. She noted that once again this year there isn't a Bulgarian-language class in the town's primary school, which in turn will mean there won't be any such students in the high school.

Iotova had a working meeting on Monday with the Serbian President's Secretary, Nikola Selakovic, and Dimitrovgrad's Mayor Vladica Dimitrov, as well as municipal leaders. Opportunities were discussed for bilateral cooperation in the context of the Bulgarian EU Presidency. The topic of EU enlargement and accession of the Western Balkans remains a priority for Bulgaria, the Vice President said.

The meeting also focused on the increasing number of young people emigrating to Western Europe, the Balkan gas hub, the need for more active cross-border cooperation in tourism with a focus on border regions.

Iotova presented to Selakovic an invitation from President Rumen Radev to his Serbian counterpart Alexander Vucic to visit Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Vice President had a discussion with students from the local St St Cyril and Methodius High School, who expressed interest in Bulgarian post-secondary education and the advantages it offers.

Iotova also visited the site of a memorial ossuary near Dimitrovgrad, where Bulgarian and Serbian soldiers fought 132 years ago, and where she and Selakovic laid wreaths. The Bulgarian Vice President described this as a very important and symbolic act, which honours the memory of the fallen soldiers from both Bulgaria and Serbia, so that there are no more desecrated monuments and memorials, to use her words.