Zohara Campagnola, the spouse of Italy's former Ambassador to Bulgaria, was awarded on Friday the Madara Horseman order during an official ceremony at the presidency.

Mrs. Campagnola was honored for her outstanding contribution to the development of social services for disabled people and the fight against cancer in Bulgaria.

"I am very excited to receive this award and am very glad that people remember me even though I left Bulgaria three years ago," Zohara Campagnola said at the ceremony, attended by her husband, former ambassador Gian Battista Campagnola.

The ceremony was also attended by former king and former prime minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, former Foreign Minister Solomon Passy and representatives of non-governmental organizations.

"As wife of Italy's Ambassador to Bulgaria in 2003-2007, Mrs Zohara Campagnola was initiator, organizer and active participant in numerous public campaigns to prevent and combat cancer," President Georgi Parvanov said.

He pointed out that during her stay Mrs. Campagnola initiated the signing of a declaration between representatives of the diplomatic corps, institutions and civil society aimed at actively developing programs for the prevention of cancer, systemic delivery of drugs and ensuring adequate medical care.

Zohara Campagnola grew up in Japan, married an Italian diplomat and came to live in Bulgaria in 2003. In Sofia she is remembered as being as delicate and internationally minded as her background suggests.

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