site.btaUPDATED Vice President Iotova Celebrates May 24 with Bulgarians in Bosilegrad 

Vice President Iliana Iotova marked the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture, and of Slavic Literature in the town of Bosilegrad (Southeast Serbia), which is predominantly populated by ethnic Bulgarians. 

Iotova visited the Bosilegrad Cultural Information Centre, where she met with representatives of the Bulgarian minority in Serbia. The meeting was also attended by Bulgarian Ambassador to Serbia Petko Doykov. 

Iotova said during her visit to the Cultural Information Centre: "It is only natural that we should be together on May 24. Unlike many other holidays, this is a day when we forget about our conflicts and differences and try to forget hate speech. It is only natural that we should be here in Bosilegrad, which has been the centre of the Bulgarian national minority in Serbia for several years now."

The Vice President expressed a hope that when a new government is formed in Serbia, Bulgaria will reopen the discussion about memorial plaques, hate speech and history - topics which, regrettably, cause conflicts between the countries. Serbia has also set out on the path to EU membership, said Iotova.

The Bulgarians in Serbia have a national minority status with all the attendant rights, said Iotova. She stressed that the Bulgarian authorities will be very strict about violations of those rights.

Iotova said she would like to see the leadership of the Bulgarian national minority in Bosilegrad show a little more energy and ambition, adding: "Bulgaria will always stand behind your rights."

The Vice President then visited the Bulgarian News Agency's National Press Club in the town and the secondary school, where celebrations on the occasion of the Bulgarian holiday took place. 

Finally, the Vice President attended celebrations in front of the Holy Trinity Church in the village of Izvor, with the participation of students from the Petko Karavelov Secondary School of Sofia, the Bulgarian Voices conducted by Joseph Gerdjikov, and actress Vasilka Sugareva.