2024-09-04 14:39:31
President Rumen Radev awarded the Order of the Hungarian Horseman, first degree, to the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to Bulgaria, Armen Edigarian, at a solemn ceremony in the Hall of Coats of Arms of Dondukov2. The state award is awarded to the diploma for great merits for the strengthening and development of bilateral relations.
President Radev expressed his personal satisfaction with the excellent relations of sincere friendship and effective cooperation between Armenia and Bulgaria. During his tenure, Ambassador Edigarian made consistent efforts to develop these relations, despite a number of objective difficulties imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and crises of a regional and global nature. But the important thing is that dialogue, relations, contacts at the highest and highest political level were preserved, and in 2022 we celebrated 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries, the head of state said.
Radev pointed out that in the fall of 2022, the President of Armenia Vahagan Khachaturian paid a state visit to our country, and this year – the Chairman of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan.
The President noted that during the term of Ambassador Edigarian, there was a serious development of trade and economic relations between the two countries, especially after 2022, when they have increased by more than 50% and this trend is maintained over time. He commented that the opening of a permanent airline between Yerevan and Sofia twice a week is an extremely important step in this direction, as well as the protocol for establishing a Chamber of Commerce between Armenia and Bulgaria. According to him, the potential is huge and it is in the context of the expansion of connections between Europe and Asia – transport, energy, digital.
Radev also noted the upgrading of bilateral relations in the fields of culture, education and science. The signing of an important memorandum in the field of cooperation in the field of high technologies, scientific exchange and research and development activity is imminent, he announced, quoted by BTA.
Ambassador Edigarian thanked for the high distinction in the Bulgarian language. Almost four years ago, in this building, I had the pleasure of presenting my credentials, then our region was engulfed in a tragic war with catastrophic consequences in Nagorno-Karabakh, then we had acute internal insecurity and instability in Armenia, and not to forget the COVID- 19, the Armenian ambassador said. And in Bulgaria, since April 2021, there have been several elections, which create uncertainty regarding practical cooperation with foreign partners, he added. Against this background, we have reaped success in our political dialogue, in that it continues unhindered, said Ambassador Edigaryan and repeated the invitation to President Rumen Radev to visit Armenia.
From the very beginning, when we arrived in Sofia, we felt like at home, like in Yerevan, and I thank Bulgaria for that, said Ambassador Edigarian on behalf of himself and his wife.