The newly-arrived US Ambassador to Bulgaria, James Warlick, has made his first public appearance in Sofia on Wednesday.

"Our governments are partners, but more important is that our peoples are friends who share common values and increasingly common objectives for working together," he said in introductory remarks, adding that it was a tremendous honor to find himself in Bulgaria as Ambassador.

Warlick recalled that, more than 30 years ago, he had been a student in Berlin, the city that, according to him, symbolized the great differences between East and West.

"At that time, I could not imagine that one day would be here as Ambassador - in a country that is a member of NATO and the EU, where personal freedom and prosperity are highly valued; in a country with a rich history and culture, of which Bulgarians are rightly proud," said the top diplomat.

During the course of his maiden speech, Warlick cited extracts from poems by Ivan Vazov, the classic Bulgarian author.

"My job will be to listen not only to the Bulgarian leaders, but also to the people who want relations with the United States to be based on mutual respect and common interests," he pledged.

"I promise the Bulgarian citizens to work together with them with enthusiasm and responsibility for healthier ties between our peoples and lasting cooperation between our governments," Ambassador Warlick concluded.

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