In his last New Year address to the nation, outgoing President Petar Stoyanov thanked Bulgarian people for their support and called on them to unite. He seized the opportunity to convey a political message as well before President-elect Georgi Parvanov comes into office in late January. President Stoyanov underlined that 2001 will be remembered as the year of tragic events – the terrorist acts of September 11 and the tragedy at a Sofia disco club when seven Bulgarian children died in a stampede.” It was this tragedy that united all Bulgarians for a moment,” he said.

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