Bulgaria will continue to support and develop its relations with the Bulgarian national minority in Moldova in dialogue with the representatives of the community, as well as with Moldovan state institutions, so that together the most effective solutions to their problems can be found, President Rumen Radev said. Today he met with representatives of the Bulgarian national minority in Moldova at the President's Administration building. Vice President Iliana Iotova also took part in the talks.

Preserving the integrity of the Taraclia region, which is populated by ethnic Bulgarians after the administrative reform in Moldova, and the academic independence of the Gregory Tsamblak State University, as well as attracting investments in the Taraclia region were among the highlights of the meeting. Our compatriots in Moldova expressed their readiness to actively participate in the talks on the future of the Taraclia region. They also touched upon the prospects for the development of the Bulgarian national minority in view of Moldova's upcoming adaptation to the European legislation. The Moldovan Bulgarians will insist that the approaches to be followed take into account the specificities of the areas where different minorities live, including the Taraclia region, so as to guarantee their rights, including their livelihood opportunities, and to prevent depopulation processes. Radev stressed that in this regard both the Bulgarian state and the European Union will strictly monitor the observance of the rights of minorities and their full participation in the development of social processes in the country.

Vice President Iotova raised the issue of school education in Bulgarian for Bulgarian children in Moldova. She called for updating the cooperation agreement between Bulgaria and Moldova in the field of education. This would also allow for the creation of partnership ties between Bulgarian vocational schools and schools in the Taraclia region, and enable the accreditation of new specialisations at Gregory Tsamblak State University.