Acting Education Minister Sergey Ignatov said that his recent visit to Kyiv came at a critical moment, stressing that it could not be delayed. According to him, the signing of a protocol with his Ukrainian counterpart was decisive for the future of the Bulgarian High School in Bolgrad. Without this agreement, there had been a real risk that upper secondary classes would be discontinued as early as this year due to ongoing educational reforms in Ukraine that are phasing out older structures.

Ignatov underlined the historical significance of the school, founded in 1858 by Bulgarian patriots and later attended by prominent figures such as Aleksandar Balan and former Prime Minister Alexander Malinov. He pointed out that the institution faced the possibility of losing its status as a high school, a scenario that has now been avoided with the подписания protocol, which ensures its continued operation.

The document guarantees that children from the Bulgarian community will continue to study subjects such as Bulgarian language, history, geography and traditions in their native language from first through twelfth grade. In addition, provisions have been introduced to expand access to education for preschool-aged children within the same framework.

Ignatov also highlighted that Bulgaria has taken on specific responsibilities under the agreement. These include organizing training and qualification programs for teachers of Bulgarian language on Bulgarian territory, supplying textbooks and educational materials, and providing opportunities for students from the diaspora to visit and study in Bulgaria.

He categorically rejected claims that any arrangement had been made for the study of the Ukrainian language in Bulgaria, describing such reports as unfounded and driven by the election campaign. According to him, if the protocol had not been signed, Bulgarian-language education in the upper grades would effectively have disappeared. He emphasized that the school is historically Bulgarian and not a concession granted from outside.

Finally, Ignatov noted that the protocol does not have a fixed term, meaning it is not limited to a period such as 10 or 15 years, but is intended to apply without a predefined end date.