Huge investments are yet to be made in the water supply systems in Bulgaria and it is extremely important that these funds be used efficiently and effectively. Before spending them in a piecemeal fashion, we should draw on other countries’ good practices and experience. This is what President Rumen Radev told journalists after visiting the company that manages the water resources of Jerusalem. The Head of State is paying a visit to Israel to participate in the commemoration ceremony of marking the 75^th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation and the Holocaust Remembrance Day, the presidential press office reported.

“It is amazing to see how the extremely poor in terms of water resources Israel, in which 70 percent of the water supply comes from the desalination of seawater, transforms the desert into a garden. The rich in water resources Bulgaria, conversely, has taken the opposite path. Moreover, this is the result of the lack of a clear vision and good governance,” Rumen Radev emphasized.

In the President’s words, Israel apparently has a clear long-term vision, rational policy and above all good governance. The losses along Jerusalem’s water-transit system are 7 percent per year and the apportionment of water and its quality are observed in real time.

The Head of State said that he was assured by President Reuven Rivlin, by Parliament Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, and also by the company that manages Jerusalem’s water resources, that they are ready to provide expert assistance to our country regarding the water sector. “I hope that the Bulgarian government will take advantage of this opportunity,” the President further emphasized.  

Earlier Rumen Radev visited the the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, founded in 1996 by the Israeli statesman Shimon Peres. The organization aims to strengthen peace and dialogue in the Middle East through launching joint projects in economy, medicine, education and sport, and also to promote the dialogue among the people. In the President’s words, every country that respects its past and thinks about its future should have such a center. “We can also show quite a lot of our merits to the world in different areas of science and innovations, which could inspire the young people,” the President commented and added that this is yet another potential sphere of partnership between Bulgaria and Israel.

In Jerusalem Rumen Radev also visited the the Mobileye autonomous car company, which started as a producer of software for facilitating the road traffic and improving the urban environment and currently works on the implementation of autonomous cars in partnership with leading car producers. With the developed by the company artificial intellect devices are also produced to help people with auditory and visual disorders and support their social integration.  

Tomorrow the Bulgarian President will represent our country at the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in the Yad Vashem memorial. The official event, which will mark the 75^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the International Holocaust Remembrance Day will be attended by more than 40 Heads of State and Heads of Government from around the world. Later in Tel Aviv Rumen Radev will attend the premiere of the Israeli-Bulgarian documentary film “The next generation” by the Bulgarian director Dimitar Gotchev. After the end of the film the Head of State will meet representatives of the Bulgarian community.