News - USA, Washington, Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria

The vocal ensemble “Divi Zheni,” led by Artistic Director Tatyana Sarbinska, celebrated its 25th anniversary with a remarkable performance in Boston. Among the distinguished guests were Ms. Stefka Yovcheva, Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington, D.C., and Ms. Daniela Sirakova, Consul of Bulgaria in New York. Under the leadership of Ms. Sarbinska, “Divi Zheni” captivated the hearts of the audience with the richness, spirit, and authenticity of Bulgarian folklore.

On March 19, the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington hosted a joint lecture by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivan Hristov, Fulbright Visiting Scholar at George Washington University, and Dr. Stuart Van Dyke, grandson of Reuben H. Markham. The event was held under the motto “Rubin Markham – A Friend of Humanity.”

The official program commenced with a vocal performance of the national anthems of the Republic Bulgaria and the United States of America by Mr. Jason Guerrero, a Junior Bachelor of Music at the Catholic University of America.

The new member of the Bulgaria Caucus in the U.S. Congress is Congressman Brian Babin, a Republican representing the state of Texas. The congressman accepted the invitation to join the Caucus during a meeting with the Bulgarian Ambassador to the U.S., Georgi Panayotov. Brian Babin is a member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Senator Ted Cruz of the Republican Party has represented the state of Texas in the US Senate since 2013. He was re-elected once again in 2024 with nearly 6 million votes. With a population of over 29 million people, Texas has the second-largest economy in the US, with a GDP of $2.66 trillion. If Texas were an independent country, it would be the sixth-largest oil producer in the world.

Ambassador Panayotov held a meeting with Congresswoman Young Kim, representing the state of California. Congresswoman Kim is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, the House Financial Services Committee, and the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

Energy security was the central topic of the conversation between Ambassador Georgi Panayotov and Julie Johnson, a member of the U.S. Congress representing the state of Texas. Texas has the second-largest economy among all U.S. states, with a gross domestic product exceeding $2.7 trillion, surpassing the GDP of Canada, South Korea, Australia, and Russia. The state is the largest energy producer in the U.S., with annual oil and gas exports amounting to $140 billion. Julie Johnson is a member of both House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Homeland Security Committee.

Ambassador Georgi Panayotov met with Congresswoman Sheri Biggs, a member of the U.S. Congress from the Republican Party, representing the state of South Carolina. Congresswoman Biggs is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. A Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, Congresswoman Biggs has multiple deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Afghanistan. The Congresswoman and the Ambassador exchanged memories from Afghanistan, where they discovered they had been present at the same time.

Ambassador Georgi Panayotov participated in a roundtable discussion “From Sea to Shining Seas: The Untapped potential of the 3 Seas Initiative”. The event took place within the framework of the Delphi Economic Forum and was co-organized by the Atlantic Council.

Ambassador Georgi Panayotov was honored to be a guest speaker at the Foreign Service Institute - FSI, the U.S. government’s primary training institution for Foreign Service officers. He was invited to share insights on Bulgaria-U.S. relations and Bulgaria’s role in regional and transatlantic security.