site.btaBTA Director General: Today Is Also a Day to Reflect on What Bulgaria is Doing for Bulgarians in Ukraine

At a meeting with representatives of Bulgarians from various villages in Odesa, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev said: "Today's day for reflection before the parliamentary elections in Bulgaria is also a day for reflection on what Bulgaria is doing for the hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians in Ukraine". The meeting took place before a concert by Desislava Dobreva and folk ensembles from the Bulgarian villages of Delzhyler, Kamchik and Kulevcha, organized by the agency, with the support of the Consulate General of Bulgaria in the city, on the eve of the Day of Bessarabian Bulgarians, October 29.

Bulgarians in Odesa region number over 150,000 people and are the third largest nationality in the region according to the official census in Ukraine in 2001.

"Bulgarians  in Ukraine cannot vote in the elections for Bulgarian parliament, because due to the war there are no open polling stations, which should remind Bulgarians in Bulgaria that we need to value our opportunity to hold free elections in peace and participate in them".  Valchev said, noting that there were two air raids in Odesa that night alone. He added that for the sake of the participation of more Bessarabian Bulgarians in the life of Bulgaria, including the elections, the Bulgarian state should improve the procedures for acquiring Bulgarian citizenship by origin and support Bulgarians even more strongly in front of the local authorities when they express their Bulgarian identity.

"I am in Odesa region for the ninth time since the beginning of the war. We did a lot together for the Bulgarians in Bulgaria and the Bulgarians here to learn more about each other", said the BTA Director General, recalling that last year BTA opened a permanent correspondent's office in Odesa, which every day transmits news about Bulgarians in Ukraine, news about daily air raids, as well as about the preservation of Bulgarian traditions and history. "At the BTA National Press Club in Odesa, we hold various events, among which was the 19th World Meeting of the Bulgarian Media this June," recalled Valchev.

The BTA Director General noted that it is important to expand information about the fate of Bulgarians in territories close to hostilities, as well as in Ukrainian territories that are currently under Russian control. Valchev said that more information will also be useful for Bulgarians in Bulgaria to better orient themselves on how they can support Bulgarian communities in their recovery from the war.