On the fifth day of his visit to the United States, President Rosen Plevneliev met the Bulgarian community in Chicago. In the Botanical Garden of the Windy City, the Head of State assured fellow Bulgarians that the coming years will see a different Bulgaria where “everything is upgraded and developed”. When Bulgaria reaches about 60 per cent of the average standard of living, then the Bulgarians abroad will begin to return home, the President predicted. He said that the pace set in the “Bulgaria 2020” development programme will allow this standard to be achieved by 2020.

In 10 years, Bulgaria has increased per capita productivity by an average 27 per cent to 43 per cent of the EU average, and uncultivated areas in Bulgaria had decreased by 17 per cent. This means that people were working more, President Plevneliev said. Bulgaria is a very stable country and will be one of the most stable in the future, because in recent years, Bulgarian politicians had been responsible and had drastically reduced the country’s government debt, he said. He said that use of European Union funds had accelerated considerably. The percentage of the appropriated funds may reach 90 per cent by 2015, President Plevneliev said.

The President announced that the Presidential institution will soon take the initiative to restore Bulgarian military monuments in neighbouring countries. Stricter legislation to protect cultural heritage, incentives for foreign investors and a more active policy towards Bulgarians abroad were among the topics raised in Chicago by the Bulgarian President.

Later, Rosen Plevneliev was a guest at the ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of the John Atanasoff School, where he met with the son of the inventor John Atanasoff Jnr. The President visited the Bulgarian Orthodox churches, St. Ivan Rilski and St. Sofia.

Today, May 20, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Rosen Plevneliev will attend the first day of the NATO Summit in Chicago. It is expected that during the forum, the President will hold a series of bilateral meetings.