site.btaPresident Radev Wishes Luck to Bulgarian Olympians in Paris

President Rumen Radev believes that Bulgarian athletes will bring pride to the country with their performance at the Olympics in Paris. The head of State has been in the French capital since Thursday and on Friday he will be among the official guests at the opening ceremony of the Games, which will last until August 11.

"At the moment, the Olympic Games are the only event that can unite the world, because the Olympic Games have always been a symbol of peace, understanding and good neighbourliness. I deeply believe that the ideals and principles on which the Olympic movement is built will continue to unite us and inspire us for a more peaceful, fairer world," Radev told journalists at the Bulgarian Embassy in Paris, where he attended an exhibition by Bulgarian sculptor and pop-artist Vladimir Nikolov.

The President participated on Thursday night in a summit at the Louvre Palace where Bulgaria joined the Paris Agreement for Sport and Sustainable Development.

"Last night was a landmark event because many heads of government and state from around the world, heads of international organizations such as the UN, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, stood behind the Paris Agreement for Sport and Sustainable Development. An agreement that puts the focus on our future and our young people. Their equality and access to sport, the fight against obesity and immobility, also everything necessary so that young people develop both physically and spiritually," he explained.

Rumen Radev highlighted Bulgaria's contribution to the Olympic movement.

"Let us not forget Bulgaria's place in the Olympic movement. We are proud to be among the 14 who revived the Olympic movement in Athens in 1896. Since then, Bulgaria has always taken a worthy place in all the Olympics and with its 230 medals and 55 titles we, considering the size of our country and its population, can be proud because this is a very high achievement. I believe that our athletes, who are here in Paris today, will do their best to prove the high spirit of sportsmanship and competition and will give their all so that we can be proud again and see the Bulgarian flag flying," he said.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, who over the years have done their best in this complicated situation in Bulgaria to create conditions in which our athletes can prepare, because the competition in the field of sport is becoming fiercer. There is an awful lot of money being invested in sport, which we as a country are not yet able to invest. Our athletes compensate for the deficits in a number of areas with incredible qualities and especially strong motivation and dedication," Radev added.

The head of State hopes that the Olympics will contribute to the reduction of conflicts and a more peaceful world.