President Iotova: Reconciliation and Forgiveness Are the Only Path to a Better Future for Our Children

Thracian Bulgarians stand as a measure of dignity and nobility. From their hard-won historical wisdom, we learn that reconciliation and forgiveness are the only path to lasting peace, understanding, and a better future for our children, said Bulgaria's President, Iliana Iotova, on March 26, in her congratulatory message on the occasion of Day of Thrace, the presidential press office reported.

Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria:"On the Day of Thrace we remember the selflessness of generations of educators and revolutionaries, the glorious Edirne epic, and the victories of the Bulgarian soldier. We relive the terrible summer of 1913 and the upheavals of the long and merciless 20th century. Memories come alive of the long columns of refugees, of devastated ancestral homes and abandoned fields, and of the ruthlessly erased Bulgarian presence in native Thrace.”

The Head of State said that every year on 26 March, Thracians honour their brave ancestors, call for justice, and raise their voices against oblivion. “Although uprooted from their homeland, our ancestors never left the White Sea region (Aegean region) in their hearts. They did not allow the invisible bond with their ancestral hearths to be severed; they did not abandon the hope that sooner or later their yearning for justice would be fulfilled,” the President noted.

The President also expressed gratitude to the Union of Thracian Societies in Bulgaria, chaired by Krasimir Premyanov, for its tireless efforts to keep the Thracian cause alive, ensuring that this cherished legacy is passed down to our children.

Iliana Iotova, President of the Republic of Bulgaria: “Through people like you, the Bulgarian spirit, as well as our ancestral and national memory, withstand the test of time.”

She reiterated the unwavering support of the presidential institution for Thracian Bulgarians, backing their cause to defend historical truth and their just demands.