YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian is leaving September 7 on a three-day official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of his counterpart, president Georgy Pirvanov. Foreign, transport and communication, health , culture ministers and other senior government officials are in Kocharian’s delegation.
Kocharian’s press office said that during the visit Armenian officials will try to boost multi-lateral ties with Bulgaria, to outline most feasible prospects for economic partnership and exchange viewpoints on issues of common interest.
As part of its declared policy on close integration into the European structures, Armenia deems necessary development of contacts with countries in the East and South of Europe. In this context effective relationship with Bulgaria cannot be underestimated.
The first official meeting of Kocharian will take place on September 8 morning when he will be having a private conversation with his opposite number Georgy Pirvanov. This will be followed by an enlarged session of both countries’ officials. Presidents Kocharian and Pirvanov are expected to sign a joint declaration on the results of the visit. Apart from this, also an agreement on bilateral cooperation in health and a consular convention will be signed.
Kocharian is also scheduled to meet with chairman of Bulgarian parliament and prime minister and will also lay a wreath at the Monument to Unknown Soldier. On the sidelines of the visit a Bulgarian-Armenian business conference will take place. The same day president Kocharian and his spouse Bella Kocharian will attend a concert dedicated to the centenary of outstanding Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian that will be held within the frameworks of Days of Armenian Culture in Bulgaria.
On August 9 president Kocharian will depart for the City of Plovdiv to visit the Armenian Church of Saint George and meet with members of local Armenian community. He will fly back the same evening.
Armenians first settled in Bulgaria since the foundation of the Bulgarian kingdom on the Balkans. However, there is scarce information about the number of Armenians until the end of the XIX century. In 1881, during the first population census the number of Armenians was 3,440. After the slaughter in Turkey during the period 1894 to 1896, the 1915 Armenian genocide and the Turkish-Greek war in 1922 thousands of Armenian refugees sought asylum in Bulgaria. Thus the number of Armenians rapidly grew to 47,000.
Nowadays, the Armenian community in Bulgaria is said to have 22,000 people and approximately that more refugees from Armenia settled during the last decade. Since it’s foundation, the Armenian Community in Bulgaria has been leading a diverse and extensive public life by actively participating in all fields of economic, cultural, and social life in the country.
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