site.btaParliament Chair Meets with Bulgarian Community in Budapest

On Sunday, National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova met with representatives of the Bulgarian community in Budapest. Kiselova is in Hungary to participate in the Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of the EU Member States, taking place in the Hungarian capital.

"I am happy that the Bulgarians in Hungary remain united and continue to preserve and pass down their love for the homeland, the Bulgarian language, and our traditions to the younger generations," Kiselova said, adding that, although not the largest in number, the Bulgarian diaspora in Hungary is one of the most active and has successfully managed to preserve its language and culture.

Kiselova also visited the St. Cyril and St. Methodius Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which celebrated its patronal feast on May 11. On this occasion, the Parliament Chair presented the church with an icon of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Some 6,300 Bulgarians live in Hungary, with the Bulgarian minority officially recognized in 1993 as one of the 13 national minorities in the country. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Bulgarian community in Hungary founded its own society, school, and church, later establishing a cultural centre. This is the oldest Bulgarian non-governmental organization abroad, created to preserve the language, national identity, and historical memory.