Bulgaria’s national co-ordinator against antisemitism holds talks with US State Department Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues

Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, who is the National Co-ordinator for Combating Antisemitism, has held talks in Washington DC with Tom Yazdgerdi, Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues in the European and Eurasian Bureau at the State Department.

The meeting, held during a working visit to the US by Georgiev, discussed measures to counteract the increasing antisemitism in the world and the importance of studying and commemorating the Holocaust, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Bulgaria’s role in the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during the Holocaust was also discussed, the statement said.

Yazdgerdi congratulated Bulgaria on its admission as a full member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

Georgiev said that the Bulgarian government was firmly committed to counteracting all manifestations of antisemitism.

“Bulgaria will continue to work within the framework of international organisations and in co-operation with its partners in the international community for respecting human rights, combating violence and spreading the culture of peace,” he said.

Georgiev also met with representatives of leading Jewish organisations, including World Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith, the Anti-Defamation League and the the National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry.

He briefed on them Bulgaria’s measures to counteract antisemitism, xenophobia and hate speech, and efforts to study and commemorate the Holocaust.

“Bulgarian society is extremely tolerant and our country has a proven model of ethnic and religious tolerance. Bulgaria will continue to be in the ‘front lines’ of the fight against terrorism and all manifestations of intolerance, xenophobia, extremism and hatred,” Georgiev said.

The Foreign Ministry statement said that the representatives of the Jewish organizations expressed their appreciation for the fruitful dialogue with the Bulgarian government, which contributed to deepening the Bulgarian-US strategic partnership and the practical co-operation between Bulgaria and the US and Israel.

(Photos: mfa.bg)

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