Meeting of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ivan Kondov at a Ceremony on the 20th Anniversary of the Francophone Regional Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (CREFECO)
14 October 2025 News
On 14 October 2025, at an official ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Francophone Regional Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (CREFECO), a structure of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) in the Republic of Bulgaria, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Kondov, on behalf of Mr Georg Georgiev, Minister of Foreign Affairs, presented the honorary distinction “Golden Laurel Branch” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Prof Dr Reni Yotova for her outstanding contribution to Francophonie in the Republic of Bulgaria, to cultural diplomacy, and to multilateral cooperation. Prof Yotova headed CREFECO between 2010 and 2017 and, since 2024, has served as Director for the Teaching and Learning of French Worldwide at the International Organisation of La Francophonie, as well as Head of the OIF Regional Centre in Djibouti.
An honorary certificate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also presented to Mr Emmanuel Samson, the current Head of the Francophone Regional Centre for Central and Eastern Europe, in recognition of his contribution to Francophonie in Bulgaria and his overall role in promoting Francophonie throughout the region of Central and Eastern Europe.
“I am delighted that, precisely on the occasion of the Centre’s 20th anniversary, its team will have the opportunity to move into its new home. The new office carries special symbolic significance, as it once hosted the philosopher and President of the Republic of Bulgaria from 1990 to 1997, Dr Zhelyu Zhelev, on whose initiative our country joined the International Organisation of La Francophonie in 1993,” said Ivan Kondov.
Since its establishment in 2005, CREFECO has supported more than 10,000 teachers in Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, and Serbia, assisted educational reforms, encouraged the sharing of digital resources, and contributed to the professional development of teacher trainers.
“But beyond the numbers, we recall the faces — of dedicated teachers, of committed inspectors, of pupils who have become ambassadors of the French language, and of all those who have made French not only a language of teaching, but also a language of trust, openness to the world, and friendship,” emphasised Prof Yotova.