World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in Hungary Dedicated to St John of Rila

The 21st World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, organised by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), has opened in Hungary. This year’s event is dedicated to the 1,150th anniversary of the birth and the 1,080th anniversary of the repose of St John of Rila.

It is an important day for both Bulgaria and Hungary. Alongside the two significant anniversaries, today also marks ten years since 19 October was designated as the Day of Bulgarian-Hungarian Friendship.

Representatives of media outlets from 25 countries are taking part in this year’s meeting. They are the people who preserve the Bulgarian language and maintain the ties between Bulgarian communities around the world and their homeland. Earlier today, wreaths and flowers were laid at the memorial plaque dedicated to St John of Rila in Hungary’s largest cathedral, marking the start of the 21st media meeting.

Evgenia Drumeva, BTA Deputy Director General: “We honour St John of Rila on this date. Here in Esztergom, his incorrupt relics, as the clergy call them, were kept for around four years. This is why the parliaments of the two countries chose a date to mark their friendship.”

Simeon Varga, representative of the Bulgarian national community in the Hungarian Parliament: “When King Béla III conquered Sofia, he brought the relics to Hungary and placed them in the basilica here. This links the history of our two peoples. And these relics truly are miraculous.”

Photos: BTA

Zoltán Tarr, Hungary’s Minister for Public Relations and Culture: “We should use the fact that a relatively large Bulgarian national minority lives in Hungary as a means for dialogue and exchange. On this basis, I believe we should strengthen our economic and cultural ties. In many ways, we, too, are learning from your example.”