The Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria in Geneva marked the National Holiday of the country with a reception for the diplomatic corps and the Bulgarian community. A special guest of the event was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms. Velislava Petrova, who addressed the audience. Among the numerous guests were ministers and Deputy ministers from UN member states participating in the session of the UN Human Rights Council, UNECE Executive Secretary Olga Algayerova, WIPO Director-General Darren Tang, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong, Deputy Heads of ILO and WTO, senior UN officials and ambassadors of UN member states, representatives of municipal and cantonal authorities, as well as the Bulgarian community in Geneva. The exhibition of paintings "Space and Presence" by  artists Miglena Savova Ockler and Nora Ampova, who live and work in Geneva, was presented during the event.

Addressing the event participants, Ambassador Yuri Sterk stated:

“Bulgarians are grateful to the fallen soldiers of the then multinational Russian Empire - Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Finns, Poles, along with Romanian soldiers and Bulgarian volunteers, who fought for our freedom…. We are so the more appalled to see today, in the 21 century, descendants of those who perished for our liberty, invade their Ukrainian neighbours  whose great-grandparents, were fighting alongside with theirs for Bulgaria’s Liberation. Russia is violently encroaching on universal human values -  on the lives and rights of Ukrainian citizens, on the sovereignty and independence of their country, in an attempt to dictate to its people how to live and where to belong ... In 21st century Europe, this is unacceptable!". The Bulgarian ambassador expressed hope that Russia’s citizens will have the strength and will to oppose the war and stop the aggression, not only for the sake of restoring peace and international security, but also in the name of preserving their own dignity and self-esteem.