Vice President Iotova, Montenegrin President Inaugurate Street in Lovech Named after Renown Doctor, Politician Petar Orahovatz

Dimitrina Solakova

Left to right: Petar Samarov, Honorary Consul of Montenegro in Bulgaria, President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic, Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova, and Lovech Mayor Stratsimir Petkov in Lovech, North Central Bulgaria, April 3, 2025 (BTA Photo/Svetlomira Anastassova)

Sofia,

03.04.2025 17:42

(BTA)

Vice President Iliana Iotova and President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic inaugurated a street named after renown doctor and politician of Montenegrin origin Petar Orahovatz in Lovech (North Central Bulgaria) on Thursday, the President's press secretariat reported. The inauguration took place in front of the building of the Honorary Consulate of Montenegro.

The street is renamed from Veliko Tarnovo to Dr. Petar Orahovatz at the suggestion of the Honorary Consul of Montenegro in Bulgaria Petar Samarov.

In her speech, Iotova said said that the Balkans are described as a place of tension and conflicts. "However, our message of the peoples, nationalities, countries in the Balkans is stronger than the geopolitical rhetoric. We want peace, stability, and a secure future for our children. For there to be peace and stability, there should be good-neighbourliness and respect for memory," the Vice President argued.

In her words, the Balkans have closely interwoven fates of peoples and individuals. "We have common heroes, particularly in the late 19th century when the national liberation battles brought together the freedom fighters, the great individuals. To respect our common history, today it is necessary to respect the right to self-determination of the various communities, which by the will of the Balkan fate live on the territory of different countries," Iotova noted.

Days of Bulgarian Culture will be held in Montenegro next month under the auspices of Vice President Iotova. A monument to Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov will be placed in Podgorica and a street will be named after him in the old Montenegrin capital, Cetinje. The idea was discussed during Iotova's visit to Montengero a year ago.

Petar Orahovatz's biography is linked to Bulgaria and in particular to Lovech, where he settled in 1884. During his stay, the doctor made a great contribution to the development of healthcare in Bulgaria. In 1892, he participated in the foundation of the local hospital. Two years later, he and Dr Stefan Vatev began publishing Medicine, the first monthly scientific medical journal in Bulgaria. Orahovatz was among the founders and leaders of the Bulgarian Medical Association, one of the initiators of the military disability movement, a member of three parliaments, and Chair of the National Assembly.

/RY/