site.btaPresident Plevneliev: Nation's Independence Achieved with Responsible, Prescient Leadership, Unity

President Plevneliev: Nation's Independence Achieved with Responsible, Prescient Leadership, Unity

Sofia, September 22 (BTA) - "This day comes to remind us that a strong state is built on solid ground. This is why a nation's independence can not be expected from abroad - to be received as a gift from the major powers or forcefully imposed in the name of foreign interests. It is achieved with a responsible and prescient leadership, with unity of the whole people, patience and reason," reads an address by President Rosen Plevneliev on the occasion of Bulgaria's Independence Day, marked on September 22, the President's Press Secretariat reported Thursday.

Battles often have to be waged in the name of independence - sometimes on the battle field, but more often on the field of values and ideas, Plevneliev notes in his address, recalling that values such as dignity, duty and patriotism are deeply embedded in the foundations of Bulgarian statehood. Not a single one of them is for sale and none can be bought. On the contrary, these values are forged over the course of centuries, they are put to the test during times of growth and trials, and are passed on to the next generations, Plevneliev notes.

"This is why, more than ever, we must remember that the responsibility for Bulgaria's future rests in our hands today," the head of State underscores. It is forged by us, here and now, because it is precisely us who are laying the foundations on which our descendants will step tomorrow. Lets be an example to our children, turn them into worthy and responsible people, into patriotic and conscious Bulgarians and Europeans. This is the only way we can guarantee that future generations will be masters of their own fate and will build their lives with confidence, in a secure and prosperous environment.

In his address, Plevneliev notes that there are events in Bulgaria's history, the memory of which does not fade. Bulgaria's Independence Day holds a special place among those events, when the Bulgarian Nation firmly defended its sacred and historical right to develop independently. On September 22, 1908, with impressive decisiveness and audacity, with wisdom and responsibility, Bulgarian statesmen realized the Bulgarians' national revival ideal and won Bulgaria's worthy and equal place among the European states, Plevneliev says.