President Rumen Radev awarded the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to Bulgaria, H. E. Dong Xiaojun, with the Order of the Madara Horseman, First Class, for his services to the deepening of bilateral relations.

During his term in office, Ambassador Dong Xiaojun has worked tirelessly and consistently to expand and ensure continuity in the bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation, so that they can be placed on an even broader and stronger foundation, Head of State Rumen Radev said during the ceremony. The President underlined the diplomat's commitment to building on the political contacts between Bulgaria and the PRC, on the trade and economic cooperation, on the exchange in culture and education. In recent years, Ambassador Dong Xiaojun and the embassy he heads have also actively worked to arrange the visits to this country of various PRC delegations, which contributes to the development of sectoral cooperation in a number of areas.

The PRC is an important partner for Bulgaria and enjoys great respect as a country with a remarkable history, culture and traditions, as well as impressive economic and scientific-technical development, Rumen Radev further said in his speech. He noted his state visit to the PRC in 2019, when he and President Xi Jinping adopted a declaration on raising the relations between Bulgaria and the PRC to the level of a strategic partnership.

Ambassador Dong Xiaojun expressed his gratitude for being honoured with the highest state award. He pointed out that in recent years the mutual political trust between the two countries and the friendship between the two peoples have been further deepened and mutually beneficial cooperation has yielded fruitful results. He added that the raising of bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership opens a new chapter in the relations between Bulgaria and the PRC.