Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov visited the Bulgarian Sunday School ‘Hristo Botev’ in the USA
29 September 2024 NewsForeign Minister Ivan Kondov visited the Bulgarian Sunday School ‘Hristo Botev’ in the Washington area and congratulated it on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. The event was a special occasion to recognize the efforts of the Bulgarian community in the region and its role in preserving the Bulgarian language, culture and traditions far from the homeland.
Minister Kondov congratulated the teachers, parents and students for their contribution to the preservation of Bulgarian cultural identity. He stressed the importance of Sunday schools as a unifying center for transmitting the Bulgarian spirit to future generations.
The Minister toured the school facilities and attended classes, where he welcomed the students' knowledge of Bulgarian language and literature and their interest in Bulgarian history and traditions.
During the visit, Minister Kondov talked to parents about the possibilities to support the educational process, including by facilitating the acquisition of Bulgarian textbooks and support materials. He pledged to raise the issue with the Ministry of Education and to help find effective solutions to support Bulgarian children in the USA.
The director of the school, Boyka Popova, stressed the importance of the school as an educational and cultural center for Bulgarian children, noting that it educates students from kindergarten to 12th grade. The program offers in-depth study of the Bulgarian language, literature, history and geography, as well as a wide range of extracurricular activities that promote the cultural and creative development of children.
Minister Kondov presented the school with a stylized plaque with the letters of the Cyrillic alphabet, expressing gratitude to the management for their dedication, to the teachers for their diligence and to the students for their desire to learn in Bulgarian. He assured the audience that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to support Bulgarian Sunday schools abroad, which are a key instrument for preserving our national identity.
For her part, Director Boyka Popova presented the Minister with the book ‘With Tangra against the Wind’ by Nikolay Dzhambazov.
Minister Kondov's visit is part of his programme in Washington, where at the invitation of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken he will take part in the meeting of foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to Combat ISIS/Daesh.