A rather moving ceremony with excited crowds marked the opening of a monument of Guiseppe Garibaldi in downtown Sofia by the Prime Ministers of Italy and Bulgaria, Silvio Berlusconi and Boyko Borisov, on the latter's birthday.

Berlusconi arrived Sunday afternoon for a three-hour visit in Sofia specially for the opening of the monument of the Italian national hero, and for the birthday of his Bulgarian counterpart, who turned 51.

This marked the second visit of the Italian PM to Bulgaria and his third meeting with Borisov in 9 months, after the two met in Rome at the end of May 2010 for the opening of a monument of the greatest Bulgarian writer and poet Ivan Vazov.

Thousands flocked to the tiny Garibaldi Square in downtown Sofia for the opening of the revolutionary's monument created by renowned Bulgarian sculptor Georgi Chapkanov despite the scorching summer heat.

The entire area around the Garibaldi Square was fully cleaned up and reconstructed for the high-ranking visit. Bulgarians flocked not just to watch the ceremony and to see the Italian Prime Minister but also to try to present flowers to Boyko Borisov.

The vice president of the Bulgarian fan club of Italian football team Milan, Yavor Kostov, even kissed the hands of Silvio Berlusconi, Milan's owner, after the Italian PM greeted the people at the square. A huge banner raised by the crowd read, “Berlusconi for EU President”, with many shouts “Happy Birthday, Mr. Borisov” and “Forza, Milan” mixing in the background.

“About 30 Bulgarians also helped Garibaldi in his heroic deeds. This is a testimony to the ancient closeness and friendship between the people of Italy and Bulgaria, which has acquired new great momentum recently. Our economic, political, and cultural cooperation is brilliant,” declared the Italian Prime Minister in his speech dedicated to the monument in Sofia.

“I am very happy to be here next to my friend, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov. I want to wish him a happy birthday even though he is such a great man that he sometimes overshadows me,” Berlusconi joked in his typical style.

“I was an advocate for Bulgaria and insisted that your country return into the European family. Long live Italy, long live Bulgaria!” he concluded.

“The great Garibaldi is the man who bowed his head before the heroic struggle of the Bulgarian people against the Ottoman Turkish occupation,” stated in turn Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in his speech expressing hope for the progressively good cooperation between Bulgaria and Italy.

In her speech, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova thanked the authors of the Garibaldi Monument, sculptor Georgi Chakanov and architect Stanislav Konstantinov, and pointed out that the renovated area around the Garibaldi Square was a present from the municipality for Borisov's birthday.

“The sculpture of the Italian revolutionary is an honor and privilege for Sofia,” she declared.

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