President of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova has awarded the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class, to Cyprus Ambassador to Bulgaria Haralambos Kafkarides, in recognition of his significant contribution to strengthening and developing bilateral relations. The ceremony took place on Thursday at the Presidency.
President Iotova said Bulgaria and Cyprus have maintained diplomatic relations for 66 years, built on solidarity, mutual trust and friendship, and marked by a shared ambition to further develop them.
She added that Bulgaria would continue to support a settlement of the Cyprus issue within the framework of the United Nations, in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and the values shared by the two countries as members of the European Union.
Iotova also expressed gratitude for the care shown to Bulgarians living in Cyprus, which she described as particularly important in the difficult and deeply divided times people are living through.
Ambassador Kafkarides thanked the President and the Bulgarian people for the honour.
‘I accept this primarily as a sign of friendship between the two countries,’ he said.
Kafkarides said his connection with Bulgaria began long before he arrived in the country as a diplomat.
He recalled that 60 years ago his parents were students in Sofia, where they met and fell in love. They learned the language, discovered the culture and later returned to Cyprus with fond memories of Bulgaria.
The Ambassador added that he was conceived before his parents left Bulgaria for Cyprus, joking that he considers himself a ‘product of Bulgaria’.