"Women and Diplomacy" Awards Presented in Sofia

Valentin Evstatiev

A snapshot of the award ceremony showing Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel on the right (BTA photo)

Sofia,

15.12.2023 17:24

(BTA)

The winners in a Foreign Ministry competition called "Women and Diplomacy - Ambassador for a Day" received their awards on Friday.

The highest-placed young women in the 18-25 age group of the competition will be able to share a day with a foreign female diplomat in her country's embassy in Sofia. Those in the 14-17 age group will be taken on a study tour of the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel said at the award ceremony: "Being a diplomat is not a profession, it is a vocation, a mission, a responsibility." Gabriel recalled the message of a meeting held on October 19, that there should be more women in diplomacy and stronger support for young girls, so that women's strengths can change the world for the better.

She thanked the jury (Ingrid Shikova, European Studies Department, Sofia University; Kiril Valchev, Director General, Bulgarian News Agency; and Petar Kraichev, Bilateral Relations Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) for taking on the difficult role of judging the entrants' merits. "I am extremely grateful for your professionalism and responsibility," Gabriel said.

She also thanked the entrants for their ideas, inspiration and talent. "I read all your essays," she said.

/RY/