site.btaABV Leader Rumen Petkov Holds Meetings with High-ranking Russian Officials in Moscow

During an official visit to Moscow Rumen Petkov, leader of political party ABV (Alternative for Bulgarian Revival), held important meetings with high-ranking representatives of the Russian state, as part of the efforts to strengthen Bulgarian-Russian relations in the cultural, educational and humanitarian spheres, the party’s press center announced on Tuesday. ABV is one of the partners in the BSP - United Left coalition, which is part of the ruling majority in Parliament.

In the Russian capital, Petkov met with Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on International Affairs and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia. The discussions at the meeting focused on the preparation of a memorandum for cooperation between the Liberal Democratic Party and ABV, readiness to conduct videoconferences, exchange in the field of culture, participation in scientific forums, joint celebration of historical dates, as well as sharing analyses and assessments of the state of bilateral and multilateral relations.

Petkov also met with the senator of the Federation Council and honorary citizen of the Bulgarian town of Razgrad, Vasily Ikonnikov. The discussion was on the current status of the political, economic and cultural relations between Bulgaria and Russia. Emphasis was placed on the connections between the two nations through the Orthodox faith and Slav script.

On Wednesday, Metropolitan Anthony, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Russian Orthodox Church, received Petkov. Anthony expressed satisfaction of the good relations between the Bulgarian and Russian Orthodox Churches. At the end of the meeting, both sides expressed hope that the fraternal ties between the two Orthodox churches and nations will continue to develop positively, the press release reads.