site.btaVice President Iotova Joins Bulgarians in Romania for St Theodore's Day Celebration

Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova arrived in Targoviste, Romania, on Saturday.

She was welcomed by city Mayor Daniel-Cristian Stan, Dambovita County Prefect Claudia Gilia and County Council President Corneliu Stefan.

The Vice President thanked her hosts for everything they are doing for the local Bulgarian community.

Iotova and Stan gave a joint news conference. The Mayor noted that the Bulgarian community in Targoviste has beautiful traditions, customs and people and has succeeded in preserving its traditions and pass them on to the young generation.

"The events of the Bulgarian community are not only event of their own but events of all Targoviste residents, of the entire public here," Stan added.

"The Bulgarian community has been inhabiting these lands for almost two centuries. Now they are all part of modern Bulgarian society, but people appreciate and respect them for their industriousness, for their customs and the language they have preserved in their families," Iotova said for her part. She acknowledged the essential support for this from the local administration and the national policy towards minorities.

Iotova said that at her talks with the local authorities in Targoviste they discussed the Bulgarian community and the prospects for the development of the entire county.

"I stressed that I always cite Romania as a role model of national authorities' treatment of the Bulgarian communities," the Vice President pointed out.

Bilateral cooperation was also on the agenda of the talks, Iotova said. She noted the importance of a project on setting up a transport corridor linking Bulgaria, Romania and Greece.

"We will continue to push together on the subject of Schengen, and I hope that we will be admitted to the Schengen area as soon as possible," the guest said further.

After talks with the Archbishop of Targoviste and Patriarchal Exarch, Metropolitan Nifon, Iotova attended the celebration of St Theodore's Day, a traditional feast on the first Saturday of Lent that local Bulgarians call Tudorita. The event includes a liturgy at the St Nifon Church, a parade of horses, and a folk show featuring ensembles from the Bulgarian organizations in Targoviste, Baleni, Izvoarele and Vinga.

During her visit, the Vice President was accompanied by Bulgaria's Ambassador in Bucharest Radko Vlaykov and Marian Costache, member of the Romanian Parliament and President of the Zaedno Association of Bulgarians in Targoviste.

Targoviste is home to nearly 700 ethnic Bulgarians. The first 57 Bulgarian families settled in Dambovita County 172 years ago.