Deputy Minister Velislava Petrova participated in the National Expert Forum on Combating Anti-Semitism and Preserving Jewish Heritage
01 June 2023 News
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Coordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism Velislava Petrova participated in a national expert forum on combating anti-Semitism and preserving Jewish heritage. The event was organized by the Diplomatic Institute of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, within the framework of the project ‘Strategic cooperation between Bulgaria and Norway in support of Bulgaria's international commitments to combating anti-Semitism and preserving Jewish heritage’. The Deputy Minister of Interior Ventsislav Katinov, the Director of the Diplomatic Institute Tanya Mihailova, the Deputy Head of the Embassy of Israel in Bulgaria Naama Levi, as well as representatives of the Ministries of Culture and Tourism also took part in the event.
In her speech, Deputy Minister Velislava Petrova stressed that this year we are very proud to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War, with an intense national and international programme. She emphasised that Bulgarian society remains largely unaffected by the grave manifestations of intolerance, discrimination and anti-Semitism from which many countries suffer. ‘Unfortunately, however, we cannot say that anti-Semitism does not exist. We are also witnessing new forms of its manifestation, especially in the context of information technology,’ the Deputy Minister pointed out. In her words, this leads to a realised need to take daily action and find sustainable solutions to ensure the security and well-being of all Bulgarian citizens, including those of the Jewish faith.
In this context, the development of a draft National Action Plan to combat anti-Semitism was highlighted, which aims to consolidate efforts in this area. It was emphasized that the good coordination between the Bulgarian institutions led to the permanent cessation of the so-called ‘Lukov March’ and the international activity of the Republic of Bulgaria in countering anti-Semitism was noted.
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