The head of State was a guest at the consecration of the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in the Republic of South Africa (RSA)

Bulgarians abroad give us hope and fill us with optimism, because they prove that no matter how far they are from their homeland, they can be united and achieve a lot together. With these words, President Rumen Radev addressed our compatriots in RSA. Invited by the Association of Bulgarians in RSA, the head of State attended the consecration of the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in the country, St Ivan Rilski. The religious service was officiated by Metropolitan Cyprian of Stara Zagora and Archbishop Damascene of Pretoria and Johannesburg.

I am confident that this holy place will be an increasingly strong spiritual centre for all Bulgarians in the region, the President told the guests gathered at the event, including the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa, representatives of state institutions and the Bulgarian community. The head of State presented two tabletop candlesticks to Father Jonko Ivanov, who has been the spiritual leader of the Bulgarians in the Republic of South Africa for 13 years. In his speech, the President expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian community in RSA, and to the Association of Bulgarians, for their efforts to raise funds and for their selfless and long-standing endeavour to build the temple. Your personal success here is also a success for Bulgaria, Rumen Radev added. He also highlighted the support of several Bulgarian governments for the construction of the temple.

Thousands of kilometres away from Bulgaria, our compatriots in the Republic of South Africa continue to preserve the Bulgarian culture, spirit, and traditions, and educate our children in love for Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language, President Radev further said. He also visited the Bulgarian Sunday school "Slancho". More than 30 children study there and in the branch opened in 2018 in Cape Town. The head of State presented the Bulgarian school with the national flag and donated books.

President Radev also stressed that despite the political turmoil, Bulgaria is developing and moving forward. This can be seen not only in the economic indicators and statistics, but also in the determination of the people to set high goals, seek change and take bold decisions.