The U.S. Ambassador Eric Rubin received Bulgaria’s highest award- Stara Planina First Order- as a degree of merit for development of bilateral relations on the occasion of Ambassador Rubin’s upcoming departure from Bulgaria. President Rumen Radev stressed that the award is an expression of the extraordinary importance attached to the strategic relationship between our two countries. President Radev praised Ambassador Rubin’s work in Bulgaria, saying that Ambassador Rubin’s “undisputed ability to work and dedication have moved the relationship between our countries to a higher level.
Ambassador Rubin thanked President Radev for the great honor and stated: “As we mark the 30th anniversary of Bulgaria’s return to democracy this autumn, let us take stock of the progress we have achieved together in building Bulgaria’s thriving free-market economy and in supporting Bulgaria’s accession to NATO and the European Union. Bulgaria’s young people today are freer and have more opportunities than any generation in Bulgarian history. That achievement did not come easily, and should not be underestimated… Mr. President, I would like to thank you again for the honor you have bestowed on me. I accept it as a tribute to the work we have done together, and as a symbol of the deep and lasting alliance between our countries.”
