The Embassy of Bulgaria in the USA hosted a reception marking the inauguration of the 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

The event was jointly organized by Congressman Joe Wilson, co-chair of the Congressional Bulgaria Caucus, and the Ambassador of Bulgaria to the USA, Georgi Panayotov.

Among the official guests were representatives from both parties in the U.S. Congress, including Republican Congressmen Joe Wilson, Neal Dunn, and Congresswoman Amata Radewagen, as well as Democratic Congressman Brad Schneider. Other attendees included representatives of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, foreign delegations, and the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev.

In his welcoming remarks Ambassador Georgi Panayotov expressed confidence that the new U.S. administration and Bulgaria’s newly formed government would create opportunities to further enhance the Bulgaria-US bilateral relations. He emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership in areas such as security and defense, economy and energy. Ambassador Panayotov highlighted that people-to-people ties remain the most vivid expression of the enduring cooperation between our two nations. He also noted the significant decrease in visa refusal rates for Bulgarian citizens—an important step toward Bulgaria’s inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.

Congressmen Joe Wilson and Neal Dunn expressed their special regard for Bulgaria and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the bilateral partnership.