Diaspora Minister Promises Citizenship to Bulgarian Minority in Serbia

Politics » DOMESTIC | August 31, 2009, Monday // 19:14
Bulgaria: Diaspora Minister Promises Citizenship to Bulgarian Minority in Serbia A new Bulgarian Orthodox church was opened in Serbia's Bosilegrad Monday. It is built almost 100% with money of the Bulgarian government. Photo by Trud Daily

Bulgaria's Minister without Portfolio, Bozhidar Dimitrov, visited Monday the town of Bosilegrad, which is one of the centers of the historic Bulgarian minority in Serbia.

In Bosilegrad, Dimitrov, who is also in charge of the Bulgarians abroad, declared himself for the restoration of the Bulgarian citizenship to all those ethnic Bulgarians in Serbia, who had Bulgarian citizenship in 1945, and for granting it to their descendants.

This means that thousands of ethnic Bulgarians living in Serbia could be granted Bulgarian citizenship under legal provisions for "restoring citizenship". The Minister said that legislative changes were needed for that happen, and promised to work for their realization.

Dimitrov met with the Mayor of Bosilegrad, Vladimir Zahariev, who welcomed the Minister's idea but also said the granting of Bulgarian citizenship should not turn into a business matters.

Dimitrov attended Monday the opening ceremony of the new church in the village of Pavlovo, 5 km away from Bosilegrad. The construction of the church cost over EUR 40 000. Of these, EUR 32 000 were provided by the State Religions Agency of Bulgaria, EUR 7 000 by the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and EUR 2 500 - from the Serbian side.

The opening ceremony, however, was also marred by a scandal. Dimitrov and Mayor Zahariev were accompanied by the bishop of the Serbian town of Vranje, who was met by protesters because 2 years ago he removed from Pavlovo the local Priest Yoan because the latter served in the village in Bulgaria without requesting a permission from the bishop, even though the local church was in his parish. Priest Yoan was the one who gave the idea for the new church inaugurated on Monday.

 

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Tags: Bozhidar Dimitrov, Minister without Portfolio, diaspora, Serbia, Bulgarians abroad, minority, Bulgarian minority, church, Bosilegrad, citizenship

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