The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Bulgaria, H.E. Gholamreza Bagheri Moghaddam, has been awarded a "Golden Laurel Branch" by the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the end of his term in Sofia.

"The 'Golden Laurel Branch' symbolizes many things. Most of all, it symbolizes peace and understanding, just as there always has been between the Bulgarian and Iranian people," said Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov, at a ceremony at which he conferred on Ambassador Gholamreza Bagheri Moghaddam the Foreign Ministry's honor, the Golden Laurel Branch.

"The award was bestowed because of Ambassador Bagheri's significant contribution to maintaining and developing Bulgarian-Iranian relations and in connection with his final departure from Bulgaria," Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry press service stressed.

"The diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the Islamic Republic of Iran have more than a century of history. It is my hope that they will continue to grow, not only in the interest of our two peoples, but also for the sake of stability in the region that connects our two countries," the Foreign Minister said at the ceremony.

Minister Mladenov emphasised the Iranian diplomat's contribution to the intensification of bilateral contacts in the fields of culture and tourism and towards the promotion of business ties between the two countries.

"The history of Bulgarian-Iranian relations is a history of friendship," Ambassador Bagheri said.

He expressed hope that his successor in office, who is expected to arrive in the country soon, and Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry will continue to work together, as has been the case up to now, for the successful development of bilateral relations.

The end of Bageri's term as Iran's Ambassador in Sofia was announced on Sunday by Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vesela Cherneva.

This announcement immediately spurred speculations in the Israeli press His Excellency was being withdrawn by Tehran as a result of the announcement of the Bulgarian government that pro-Iranian Lebanese group Hezbollah was behind the July 18, 2012 Burgas Bus Bombing, which killed 5 Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver.

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