Senior Bulgarian officials pledge to further strengthen ties with China

SOFIA, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria's Vice President Iliana Iotova and Miroslav Ivanov, deputy speaker of Parliament, said they hoped that 2022 would bring new opportunities for their country's cooperation with China.

The two senior officials made the remarks on Thursday during an online celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria.

In a letter addressed to the embassy, Iotova wished all citizens of the People's Republic of China peace, health and prosperity.

"In times of hardship, we all need more strength and wisdom, an outstretched hand and in-depth dialogue on issues important to the whole world," Iotova said.

"I believe that the new year will provide new opportunities for cooperation between Bulgaria and China, between our two peoples, who enjoy long-standing friendly relations," she said.

In a video address, Ivanov said that the spread of COVID-19 has posed countless challenges and hindered the development of business initiatives and cultural ties between countries.

"I believe that the good traditions in the relations between Bulgaria and China will help us overcome the unfavorable factors together and build a better future for our two peoples," Ivanov said.

China's Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun said that 2021 was a year in which Sino-Bulgarian relations continued to deepen and develop.

China and Bulgaria have both managed to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic, and their cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, trade, culture, education, science and technology has yielded fruitful results, Dong said.

"The Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria will work together with friends from all social spheres to fulfill and implement the consensus between the heads of state of the two countries and to continue to contribute to deepening bilateral pragmatic cooperation," Dong said.