Irina Bokova

Your Excellencies,
Dear Friends,

Thank you for joining us tonight and celebrating a notable anniversary – Bulgaria’s 50th year of membership to UNESCO.

This jubilee offers us a chance to assess the scope of our journey so far. According to the universal rule of cyclic development, our presence in UNESCO has had both happy and quiet periods. However, I very much enjoy moments when I come across people in UNESCO’s building who say, ‘You know, I was in Sofia in 1985 and I loved your country. What a conference! What a country!’

One session of the General Conference held in Sofia, three times member to the Executive Board, 9 historical, cultural and natural monuments on the World Heritage List, 56 associated schools, among others… When you draw the line, this is the result for the entire Bulgarian society ‘committed to UNESCO’s ideas and programs’. This is the reason why I am proud to be part of a group of active people working towards the renaissance and the second wave of Bulgarian presence to UNESCO on the one hand, and introducing the new face of UNESCO to the young Bulgarian people who were born after 1985, on the other.

Today we celebrate 50 years since Bulgaria has joined UNESCO’s big family. Our pride to be an active participant in one of the largest UN organizations is combined with the belief that we will manage to live up to a daring challenge: Bulgaria’s future accession to the European Union. According to Herodotus, ancient Europe consisted of Greece, Thrace and Macedonia only. European by origin, location and spirit, open to the world in an unprecedented way, today Bulgarians await their full-fledged accession to the large European architecture. I am thrilled that now more than ever the international community has shown increased interest in my country, its nation and culture. The role of culture is to foster understanding rather than discord, isn’t it? Moreover, people’s culture, as well as intellectual and moral solidarity, are in fact the only viable foundation for fair and stable peace. The afore-mentioned solidarity, expertise and cooperation enabled us to give our humble contribution to UNESCO’s programs.

Dear friends, on behalf of my government and myself, I would like to appreciate the solidarity of all of you, representatives of the Secretariat and my colleagues, the ambassadors and thank you for your precious personal support conferred upon Bulgarian experts and institutions active in the sphere of education, research, culture, and communications.

Once again I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your being responsive at any time and for listening to our problems. Thank you so much!