site.btaBulgarians Pay Last Respects to President Zhelev

Sofia, February 1 (BTA) - Hundreds flocked to the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on Sunday to pay their last respects to Dr Zhelyu Zhelev, the first democratically elected President after the end of totalitarianism in Bulgaria. President Zhelev passed away on January 30 at the age of 79. He is seen by Bulgarians as the true symbol of democratic changes in their country, a man of steadfast democratic and human values.

Attending the service in the St Alexander Nevski Cathedral are President Rosen Plevneliev, former Presidents Georgi Purvanov and Peter Stoyanov, National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, European Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva, former Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, teh Presidents of Albania Bujar Nishani, of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga and of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov and the Chairman of the Persidency of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Mladen Ivanic.

Bulgarian Patriarch Neofit is officiating at the service. LN/