site.btaBulgarian, German Top Diplomats Mark 140th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

Berlin/Sofia, November 29 (BTA) - The foreign ministers of
Bulgaria and Germany, Ekaterina Zaharieva and Heiko Maas,
Thursday met in Berlin and then marked the 140th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic relations between their
countries by opening a concert, the Foreign Ministry said. The
Chamber Orchestra of the Sofia Philharmonic performed in the
French Cathedral in Gendarmenmarkt Square under the baton of
Nayden Todorov.

Zaharieva, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister, said the ties
between the two countries, which are some of the oldest in
Europe, date back to the year 843 when the First Bulgarian
Kingdom and the German Kingdom signed a treaty. "The important
thing is that we are partners, allies and close friends now.
German investments in Bulgaria total 3 billion euro and one
million German tourists visit Bulgaria every year," she said.

Maas concurred with his Bulgarian counterpart, saying that 140
years is a child's birthday when viewed in the context of
centuries of shared history. The two countries have always been
linked, especially through culture, regardless of the political
systems. There are also the 350,000 Bulgarians resident in
Germany, and the shared yearning for a united Europe, which will
 not divide into East and West, North and South.

Zaharieva thanked Germany for its leadership role in the process
 of European integration of the Western Balkans and for its
support for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

For his part, Maas stressed that Bulgaria's foreign policy is
worthy of respect both for its efforts towards the European
integration of the Western Balkans and for the Treaty of
Friendship, Goodneighbourliness and Cooperation with North
Macedonia, which sets an example to the entire region. He said
he wished the other countries were as brave as Bulgaria.  

The event was attended by Vezhdi Rashidov, Chairman of
Bulgaria's parliamentary Culture and Media Committee,
representatives of the diplomatic corps in Berlin, Bulgaria's
honorary consuls in Germany, Germans doing business in Bulgaria
and Bulgarians who live in Berlin. RY/DD


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