The ministers of culture and sports or their representatives from nine European countries declared that they are ready to welcome the Olympic Flame relay on their territory for the 2004 Athens Olympics. At the meeting, which was hosted in Thessaloniki by Greece's Culture and Sports Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Bulgaria was represented by the President of the State Agency for Youth and Sports Vassil Ivanov. Ivanov conferred with Venizelos after the adoption of the declaration. Greece expressed interest in Bulgarian sports facilities for training for the forthcoming Summer Olympic Games in Athens. In mid-March a Greek delegation will visit Bulgaria to get on-site impressions of the country's largest sports facilities at Belmeken (Rhodopes mountains, Southern Bulgaria), Sport Palace (Varna, on the Black Sea) etc. A Greek government programme may finance sports and culture projects in Bulgaria.

In a blaze of firework shells and rock 'n roll, Salt Lake City bid an explosive farewell to the XIXth Winter Olympics on Sunday. After the dignified opening to the 17-day Games, overshadowed by the September 11 attacks, the closing ceremony was a celebration allowing the 2,500 athletes from 78 countries to let their hair down before heading home. It was a spectacular end to what had been a disappointing final day for the organizers and Olympic officials after a mini-riot overnight in the center of Salt Lake City and a major drugs bust involving three gold medallists.

In the final medal table Bulgaria ranks 21 with a total of three medals -one silver and two bronze medals. The good ranking was achieved thanks to the performance of Evgenia Radanova, who won silver medal at the women's 500m short track final and bronze in the 1,500 m. Irina Nikoultchina took bronze in the biathlon women's 10 km pursuit biathlon at Soldier Hollow.