Bulgaria and Israel have held a memorial service honoring the memory of the six victims of the July 18 terrorist attack in the Black Sea city of Burgas that cost the lives of 5 Israelis and 1 Bulgarian.

The July 18 terrorist attack in Bulgaria's Burgas, also known as the Burgas Bus Bombing, killed 5 Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver at the Sarafovo Airport near Burgas.

Tuesday's memorial ceremony in Burgas was attended by Bulgarian Economy Minister Delyan Dobrev, Israeli Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, Israeli Ambassador Shaul Kamisa-Raz, Bulgarian Ambassador to Israel Yury Sterk, among other officials.

The memorial in the wake of the Burgas Bus Bombing was held under unprecedented security measures, the Focus news agency reported.

The officials from the governments of Bulgaria and Israel laid wreaths and flowers near the spot where the blast occurred, and took a minute of silence after hearing the national anthems of Bulgaria and Israel.

"Unfortunately, the occasion for which we have gathered is a sad one but I hope that from here on we will be meeting for happy occasions. May the souls of the victims rest in peace," Bulgarian Economy Minister Delyan Dobrev stated.

"I came on behalf of Israel and the Israeli people to honor those who died, Israelis and Bulgarians, together with the victims' families so that we can declare that we will not bow before terror," Israeli Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov stated in turn.

"Regardless this great tragedy life is continuing," Misezhnikov told reporters after the ceremony.

As in his public speeches on Monday, the Israeli Tourism Minister stated that the message of his visit was to reassure the Isreali tourists that the situation in Bulgaria is calm, as in any other country.

He added that Bulgaria is visited by about 170 000 Israeli tourists, and that he hopes their number will keep growing.

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