The Republic of Bulgaria Participates in the 46th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie, 19–20 November 2025, Kigali, Rwanda
26 November 2025 News
A Bulgarian delegation took part in the 46th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie, held on 19 and 20 November in the city of Kigali, Rwanda. The ministers and heads of delegations of the Member States adopted the “Kigali Appeal for Accelerating Progress on Gender Equality in the French – Speaking World.”
During the meeting, a Report on Bulgaria was presented under the mechanism for monitoring the Declaration on the French Language in Linguistic Diversity of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).
The head of the Bulgarian delegation, H.E. Radka Balabanova – Ruleva, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to France and Representative of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria to the International Organisation of La Francophonie, expressed her satisfaction with the strong assessment of Bulgaria’s active engagement in promoting the French language, as reflected in the report. She noted that a large part of Bulgaria’s active participation in La Francophonie is focused on education and young people, and highlighted the investments made by the country over the past decades, including institutional and material support for Francophonie structures based in Sofia – the Regional Centre of Francophonie for Central and Eastern Europe (CREFECO) and the Specialized Administration and Management Institute of La Francophonie (ESFAM).
In this context, Ambassador Balabanova-Ruleva expressed Bulgaria’s disagreement with the unexpected and hasty decision to cease the activities of the Specialized Administration and Management Institute of La Francophonie and the office of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) in Sofia – a decision taken by the leadership of the AUF in breach of the tripartite international agreement between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, the OIF and the AUF, signed in 1994.
The Bulgarian delegation underlined that the presence of the Institute and the AUF in the Republic of Bulgaria is a strategic and political priority. It underscores not only the importance of Francophone higher education, but also carries significant political, economic and cultural significance. Bulgaria expressed its readiness to take all necessary measures to ensure the resumption of the activities of the Institute and of the AUF office in Sofia.
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