Seoul marks the 3rd of March and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU
06 March 2018 News
Ambassador Petar Andonov played host to an official reception marking the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the National Day of the Republic of Bulgaria, which took place on March 5th in the Regency Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul.
The reception commenced with a performance of the national anthems of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Korea by the Chamber Music Ensemble of Camarata Music Company.
In his welcoming speech, Ambassador Andonov noted that March 3rd, 1878, was the date on which Bulgarian statehood was restored and Bulgaria re-appeared on the political map of Europe. Today, 140 years later, this country is the rotational President of the Council of the EU for the first time since its accession to the Union back in 2007. The Ambassador also expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU coincides with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the European Community and the Republic of Korea.
Petar Andonov presented a brief video to highlight the priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency.
On behalf of the government of the Republic of Korea, a congratulatory address was delivered by Noh Kyu-duk, Deputy Minister for Public Relations and Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said that the relations between Bulgaria and the Republic of Korea are now at their strongest since the two countries signed a joint declaration on a comprehensive and future-oriented partnership in 2015. The speaker expressed confidence that during its Presidency, Bulgaria would demonstrate leadership in dealing with global issues and matters within the framework of the EU, and that it would make a significant contribution towards promoting relations between the EU and the Republic of Korea.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Petar Andonov conferred the honorary diploma of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon the honorary consul of Bulgaria in Seoul Kim Hi Yong in recognition of his exceptional service for the promotion of bilateral relations in the past 25 years.
Attending the event were members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of official institutions of South Korea, of the business sector, academia, cultural figures and members of the press, as well as members of the Bulgarian community in the Republic of Korea.