site.btaBulgarian Vice President Iotova Reaffirms Support for Bulgarian Community during Visit to Taraclia, Moldova

Taraclia, Moldova, September 20 (BTA) – Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova paid a two-day official visit to Taraclia, Moldova, on September 19–20, where she underscored Bulgaria’s long-standing commitment to supporting the Bulgarian community in the country through education, culture and the preservation of identity.

During her visit, Iotova awarded the winners of an essay competition for Bulgarian students from Ukraine and Moldova, organised by the Bulgarian National Radio. The ceremony took place at branch of the Angel Kanchev University of Ruse in Taraclia, where she praised the participants’ knowledge of Bulgarian literature and history and stressed that “every place where Bulgarian is spoken is part of Bulgaria”.

Iotova highlighted the successful transformation of Taraclia State University into a branch of Ruse University, officially inaugurated in May. Interest has been strong, with 260 students enrolling in the new academic year, including many Bessarabian Bulgarians from Ukraine. Honorary Rector Hristo Beloev credited Iotova for her efforts dating back to 2017 to make the project a reality.

On Saturday, Iotova opened the 24th ethnocultural festival “Unity through Diversity” in Taraclia, which gathered nearly 600 participants from Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Transnistria. She noted that the event has become one of the most significant forums for preserving Bulgarian culture abroad, stressing that the Bulgarian language, traditions and customs are “a living part of the present and future, not only history”.

Iotova also drew attention to demographic challenges facing Taraclia and reaffirmed that Bulgaria will continue to support Bulgarian schools, cultural initiatives and the university branch in order to give young people opportunities to stay in their homeland. Respect for the rights and identity of ethnic minorities, she added, is a cornerstone of European values.

Iotova also inaugurated a multifunctional sports ground at Gymnasium No. 3 in Taraclia on Saturday. She was joined by Association for the Support of Community Initiatives and Sports (A.S.I.C.S.) honorary chair Plamen Milanov, Taraclia District Council chair Lazar Dermenji, and Ambassador of Bulgaria to Moldova Maya Dobreva. After the formal greetings, students presented Bulgarian folk songs and dances. The project had a total budget of BGN 111,695, with BGN 71,695 provided through the Bulgarian Development Aid Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, administered by the Embassy of Bulgaria in Chisinau.

It was implemented by A.S.I.C.S. and received additional support from the Taraclia District Council (BGN 30,000) and the Association for the Development of the Bulgarian Community in Moldova (BGN 10,000).