site.btaPresident Iotova Awards State Honour to Cypriot Ambassador

President Iliana Iotova has awarded the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class, to the Ambassador of Cyprus to Bulgaria, Haralambos Kafkarides. The distinction recognizes the diplomat's significant contributions to strengthening and developing bilateral relations. The ceremony took place on Thursday in the Coat of Arms Hall of the Presidency.

The President said that Bulgaria and Cyprus have maintained diplomatic relations for 66 years, relations built on solidarity, mutual trust, and friendship, and characterized by ever-growing ambitions for their further development. She further stated that Bulgaria will continue to advocate for a resolution to the Cyprus issue within the framework of the United Nations, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the values ​​that unite us within the European Union.

Iotova expressed gratitude for the care shown to Bulgarian compatriots in Cyprus which she described as being of utmost importance in the difficult and deeply divided times in which people live in.

Ambassador Kafkarides thanked the President and the Bulgarian people for the honour bestowed upon him. "I accept this primarily as a sign of friendship between the two countries," he said. The ambassador explained that his connection to Bulgaria began long before he arrived here as a diplomat. He recounted that sixty years ago, his parents were students in Sofia, where they met and fell in love. They learned the language, discovered the culture, and took their memories of Bulgaria back to Cyprus.  The ambassador said that he was conceived before they left for Cyprus, adding that he jokingly calls himself a "product of Bulgaria."