Bulgaria’s President, Georgi Parvanov, sent a condolence letter to Poland’s Parliament Speaker, Bronislaw Komorowski, in occasion of the tragic death of President Lech Kaczynski.

Kaczynski, who was due to visit Smolensk to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre, in which Soviet troops killed thousands of Poles, died Saturday when the government TU-154 plane crashed near the airport of the Russian city of Smolensk.

In the letter Parvanov states that Kaczynski’s political biography and work make him one of the most prominent fighters for democratic and free Poland and will leave a permanent trace in European History.

“Kazcynski will be remembered as a head of State, who consistently and firmly stood for Poland’s national interests,” the Bulgarian President says in his letter to Komorowski, who is also the presidential candidate of Poland’s ruling party, and now acting President.

Parvanov extends his sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims in the name of all Bulgarians, adding Europe and Poland will never forget Lech Kaczynski’s contributions.

Leaders from around the world have expressed shock and deep sorrow from the death not only of Lech Kaczynski, but his wife Maria and a great number of the Polish political elite, and top military figures who also perished in the crash.