The Tradition

The World Meetings of Bulgarian Media are organized in places where Bulgarian communities and media have a prominent presence. The First Meeting took place in Sofia in 2005, the Second Meeting was held in Chicago, Illinois, in 2006, and Rome and the Vatican were the venues of the Third Meeting in 2007.

For the first time, the meetings rallied the Bulgarian newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations and online publications at home and abroad behind a national idea.

Bulgarian government institutions are traditionally represented at the meetings. Gergana Gruncharova, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, was an official guest at the Second World Meeting. At the Meeting in Rome, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and Deputy Prime Minister Ivailo Kalfin had a two-hour Q&A session with Bulgarian and foreign journalists. The Minister of State Administration Nikolay Vassilev was also an active participant in the Third Meeting.

The Participants

Over 130 representatives of Bulgarian media worldwide in aggregate have attended the three world meetings held so far. Taking part in the First Meeting in Sofia were also editors-in-chief and directors general of global news agencies, including ITAR-TASS, the Associated Press and EFE, and news agencies from Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Albania, Ukraine, Armenia, Morocco and Algeria.

Special Sideline Events

Seeking to promote Bulgarian history and culture in the international community, BTA arranges special initiatives on the sidelines of the meetings. Several events of key importance took place at the latest meeting in Rome.

The audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on May 23 was undoubtedly the most memorable experience for the delegates to the forum. During the official audience in St Peter's Square, His Holiness addressed the delegates to the Third World Meeting of Bulgarian Media with the words: "I wish you to make Bulgarian culture better known in Europe through your news services." BTA Director General Maxim Minchev presented him with a scroll with the music and lyrics of the "Hymn to Saints Cyril and Methodius."

At the Third World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, BTA and the entire Bulgarian media community took advantage of the presence of key world media to raise yet again the question of the Bulgarian nurses in Libya.

Within the framework of the Meeting, folk singer Valya Balkanska performed live in front of the Bulgarian Church of St Vincent and St Anastasius in Fontana di Trevi Square. Brief explanations about the song and an appeal in support of the Bulgarian nurses in Libya ran on a large video screen during the ten-minute performance. This event conveyed the message of freedom for the Bulgarian medics in the most impressive possible way.

Results of the Meetings

• The Bulgarian public learnt more about the Bulgarian media abroad and about the actual problems encountered by the Bulgarian communities there.
• Representatives of the Bulgarian communities worldwide received and continue to receive objective and up-to-date information on developments in Bulgaria through the cooperation they have established both between themselves and with media in Bulgaria.
• The foundations of an Association of Bulgarian Media Across the World were laid.
• A number of Bulgarian media acquired correspondents abroad.