site.btaEducation Ministries of Bulgaria, Ukraine Sign Protocol of Cooperation

The ministers of education and science of Bulgaria, Galin Tsokov, and of Ukraine, Oksen Lisovyi, signed a Protocol of Cooperation and Exchange for the academic years 2024/2025, 2025/2026, 2026/2027 and 2027/2028 during a videoconference on Tuesday.

At the signing, Tsokov said: "The signing of the protocol is a very important, significant step between Bulgaria and Ukraine. In fact, this protocol allows students who are Ukrainian citizens with Bulgarian citizenship to study. This is one of the important forms of cooperation between our countries."

The Bulgarian Minister said that this protocol enables the continuous studying of Bulgarian language among the Bulgarian community in Ukraine. He thanked the Ukrainian side for their contribution the Bulgarian community. He also assured his Ukrainian counterpart that in 2025, Bulgaria will strive  to help Ukrainian children here to feel comfortable and to get integrated.

Lisovyi said that Ukraine appreciates the bilateral partnership. He added that his country appreciates Bulgaria's efforts to help Ukraine during the war by offering shelter to Ukrainian refugees who have been forced to flee their war-torn home. The Minister added that his country sees Bulgaria as a reliable partner.

The Ukrainian Minister said: "It is very important for us that the Bulgarian community, which is quite large, feels comfortable, feels support from Ukraine, and that all the necessary conditions for the development of the Bulgarian language, Bulgarian culture and the development of Ukrainian Bulgarians in our country and in the European Union are provided."

The event was attended by the Bulgarian charge d’affaires in Ukraine, Nikolay Nenchev, Ukrainian Ambassador Olesya Ilashchuk, Ukrainian politician and President of the Association of Bulgarians in Ukraine, Anton Kisse.

According to the 2001 census, the Bulgarian community in Ukraine numbered 204,000. It is concentrated in the regions of Odesa, Zaporizhzhya, Mykolaiv, and Kirovograd.