News - USA, New York, Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria

Over the past week, the team at the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York actively participated in several business-related events, fostering connections and collaboration opportunities. On February 4, the Bulgarian Consul General Angel Angelov and newly appointed trade and commercial representative at the Consulate General Emilia Keresteliev attended a reception hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York at the Harvard Club. The event, celebrating the Year of the Snake, gathered approximately 400 guests, including business leaders, academics, cultural representatives, and diplomats. Notable attendees included the Permanent Representative of China to the UN, and the Regional Director of the Office of Foreign Missions at the U.S. Department of State. The event's host, Maisie Ho, highlighted Hong Kong’s robust trade relations with the U.S. The Bulgarian diplomats established contact with the Director of the Representation, expressing interest in further collaboration.

At the end of January, the Consul General in New York participated in a series of events honoring the memory of Holocaust victims. On January 26, the Bulgarian Consul General Angel Angelov, alongside Bulgaria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Lachezara Stoeva, and diplomats from over a dozen countries, attended a Holocaust commemoration at New York’s renowned Park East Synagogue. The event highlighted the vital role of diplomats who, during World War II, issued visas to Jewish refugees escaping Nazi persecution. Bulgarian consulates, in particular, played a significant role during this period, granting thousands of transit visas to Jews seeking passage through Bulgaria en route to historical Palestine. Many of these refugees continued their journey on Bulgarian ships.

For the third consecutive year the Bulgarian Consul General in New York Angel Angelov was honored to be among the select few diplomats invited to attend the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York Congressional Breakfast. He received the invitation from the AJC New York, a leading member organization of the JCRC and close partner of the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York. The event centered on the ongoing plight of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas, who remain in captivity, and the troubling increase of antisemitism in the U.S., particularly on university campuses.

On January 17, at the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York, Consul General Angel Angelov held a meeting with participants in the "Columbia Model United Nations and Exposition", who represent a Boston area high school in the prestigious international competition, as well as with their teachers and representatives of Columbia University.

On January 15, the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York hosted a concert from the "Bulgarian Concert Evenings in New York" series, which is in the middle of its 20th anniversary concert season

The Consul General of Bulgaria in New York took part in an online discussion organized by an educational platform on Holocaust remembrance. The special guest was Sasha Wilson, an American actress and theater director of Bulgarian origin, who is the co-author of and the main character in the play "The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria".

On December 15 and 22, 2024, the Bulgarian Sunday Schools in New York – “Gergana” and “Hristo Botev”, two of Bulgaria’s largest educational institutions in the American Northeast, celebrated Christmas with concerts. At both events, children, together with parents and teachers, filled the halls of the American high schools, which provide them with facilities for Sunday classes in Bulgarian.

On the day of the Nativity of Christ, the Holy Liturgy was celebrated in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" in New York by His Eminence Joseph, Metropolitan of the USA, Canada and Australia. The Vicar Bishop Kliment, who arrived in New York from Mount Athos a few days ago, also took part in the service.

In recent days, the public in New York had the opportunity to enjoy several performances by Bulgarian jazz musicians: On December 6, Nikola Gruev – Kotarashki, together with Dan Brantigan, a world-renowned trumpeter and Grammy nominee, gave a concert at the Bulgarian bar “Mehanata” in Manhattan, which was attended by many representatives of the Bulgarian community and their friends. The work of Nikola Gruev – Kotarashki, a former architect and current musician, combines original recordings with electronic music, hip-hop, jazz and other musical genres. Kotarashki’s debut album “Opa Hey” stayed among the most sought-after albums for five months and reached third place in the European World Music chart.

The Bulgarian Consulate General in New York hosted an event, dedicated to the development of the Bulgarian startup ecosystem and entrepreneurial spirit. It was co-organized with Endeavor and Future Unicorns Accelerator / Bulgaria Innovation Hub, Inc. and attended by dozens of representatives of the Bulgarian community in and outside of New York, who once again gathered at the Consulate General to learn more about entrepreneurial activities in Bulgaria and investment opportunities in innovative projects.