site.btaVP Iotova Presents Order of Sts. Cyril and Methodius to Chinese Bulgarist Prof. Ma Sipu

On behalf of President Rumen Radev, Vice President Iliana Iotova awarded the Order of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, First Degree, to Prof. Ma Sipu, the head of State’s press secretariat said Wednesday. The award, presented at a ceremony at Beijing Foreign Studies University, recognizes the Chinese scholar’s significant contribution to promoting Bulgarian history, language, and culture in China.

Prof. Ma Sipu, a graduate of Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, specializes in Balkan studies with a focus on Bulgaria and has co-authored a two-volume Bulgarian-Chinese and Chinese-Bulgarian dictionary with his students.

During her visit to China, Iotova met with University President Jia Wenjian and spoke with students. The rector praised her long-standing efforts to promote the Bulgarian language and cultural heritage abroad. Iotova invited faculty members to take part in the next International Forum on Cyrillic, organized by the President’s Office, and donated a collection of classic Bulgarian literature to the university library.