site.btaVice President Presents Bulgaria's Traditions in Studying French at 19th Francophonie Summit

Speaking at the 19th Francophonie Summit in Paris, Vice President Iliana Iotova presented the Bulgarian experience and traditions in studying the French language, the President's press secretariat reported on Saturday. "French has never been an official language in Bulgaria but has a century-old tradition both in education and public life. We have an orderly system of teaching: from the youngest to the PhD levels and career success," Iotova is quoted as saying. 

In her words, Bulgaria is the headquarters of two important structures: the Francophone Regional Centre for Central and Eastern Europe, and the Specialized Administration and Management Institute of La Francophonie. Bulgaria has been a full member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie for 30 years, an anniversary marked in 2023 with a large-scale campaign under the Vice-President's auspices, Iotova recalled.

"The centuries-old tradition of training French language teachers in our universities is significant and important for us, and some of the best translators of French literature in the world are Bulgarians," said Iotova. She emphasized the need for additional professional programs to promote teacher preparation, encourage mobility and opportunities for practice in different linguistic environments, as well as the spread of the French language among children.

In her address, the Bulgarian Vice President also put an emphasis on the main challenges on a world scale and the options for solving them through Francophonie's main values: peace, respect for human rights, and equality. "To make our work effective, we need a thorough analysis of the data and the prospects in the Francophone countries; only in this way can we commit to reforms and support," Iotova said. She emphasized the necessity of investing in people following the analysis, so we can better prepare to respond to crises and challenges. Iotova highlighted the need to focus on the risks faced by the poorest and most vulnerable citizens. "We need more coordination within the Francophone space, between state institutions, administrations, the non-governmental sector, sharing of best practices, and information on ineffective policies. Only in this way can we promise to protect the interests of future generations," the Vice President stressed. Iotova called for the more active inclusion of young people in decision-making processes and crisis management. "We need to teach the youth that only through stability, peace, and international security can they have a future ahead of them. If today we do our work together, united by freedom, equality, and fraternity, we can claim to be people of the future," the Vice President underscored.