A politician who "wans to look to the future... has to come to Israel, not once, but many times," Bulgarian President (2012-2017) Rosen Plevneliev has told the Jerusalem Post.

In an interview with the paper, which publishes a story about his live for Israel, he says:

“Israel is a very special country in my heart. We feel very strongly attached to Israel. We share the same destiny.”

The Jerusalem Post recalls Plevneliev was given the Friends of Zion Award in Jerusalem this week.

The Jerusalem Post, whose story is available here, wrongly states Plevenliev left office "after losing reelection to Rumen Radev."

Last spring, the previous head of state made an address in which he made clear he was not running for a second term.

Plevneliev is among the handful of world leaders who have received the award, including Pope Francis, George W Bush, and Prince Albert of Monaco.

The ceremony was aired on a billboard at New York's Times Square.

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