President Stoyanov`s three-day official visit to the United Kingdom started with an audience granted by HM Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. President Stoyanov presented Queen Elizabeth with a replica of the rhyton from the Gold Treasury of Panagyurishte. After that Stoyanov had lunch at the Travellers Club of British Trade International, where he held a brief meeting with General McKenzie, who is one of the co-authors of the Bulgarian army reform plan. Stoyanov expressed hope that the new Bulgarian government will carry on with army reform and will not hesitate to proceed with unpopular measures, such as discharge of officers. General McKenzie said he hopes that Bulgaria will continue to implement army reform, as the various stages follow a logical sequence and the most difficult ones are already behind. The lunch at the Travellers Club was hosted by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who is also Vice President of British Trade International, a business promotion organization with the British Department of Trade and Industry. Attending were also the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Mayor of London, members of British and international corporations, and Stoyanov`s Advisor Kyril Saxe-Coburg. Later in the day Stoyanov was scheduled to hold meetings at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and with Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon.

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