News - Finland, Helsinki, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria

On March 12, 2026, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Finland, Mrs. Zornitsa Apostolova, presented her Letters of Credence to the President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and officially assumed office. The formal ceremony took place at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, where the Bulgarian Ambassador was greeted by Finnish honor guards and a military band.

The ceremony was followed by a conversation between President Stubb and Ambassador Apostolova, during which she emphasized her desire to work toward further deepening bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Finland in all areas of mutual interest and noted the strong historical ties that underpin the existing excellent friendship. The prospects for further development and expansion of cooperation between Bulgaria and Finland as partners in the EU and allies in NATO were discussed, including in the fields of economy, investment, defense and security, etc., and the important role and contribution of the countries to the security of the Eastern flank of the Alliance was highlighted.

Ambassador Apostolova underscored Bulgaria’s potential for partnership in the fields of innovation, high technology, artificial intelligence, science, and research. Attention was also drawn to the importance of promoting cultural exchange and dialogue between Bulgaria and Finland, including leveraging the symbolic value of the upcoming anniversaries in the bilateral calendar for 2027–2028, namely - the 150th anniversary of the most significant battle with the participation the Finnish Battalion in the Liberation War, which took place on October 24, 1877, near the village of Gorni Dubnik, and the 110th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Ambassador Apostolova presented copies of her credentials two days earlier, on March 10, 2026, to Mr. Mika Koskinen, Head of the State Protocol of Finland.

Following the ceremony for the presentation of her credentials, Ambassador Apostolova and the diplomats from the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Helsinki laid flowers at the monument of the Finnish soldiers who fell for Bulgaria’s Liberation, located in the courtyard of the Ministry of Defence of Finland.