A warm welcome was extended today to the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria Mihaela Dotsova, on her courtesy visit to Grand Commander Fra’ Emmanuel Rousseau at the Magistral Villa.

The meeting was an opportunity to express heartfelt wishes to the Speaker on her recent election and appreciation for the strong diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the Order, initiated in 1994 and confirmed by numerous high-level visits over the years.

President Dotsova expressed “deep appreciation for the Order’s work, not only at this historic juncture, but for having left a lasting mark over the centuries, demonstrating that all human beings have equal rights”.

During the talks, the fruitful cooperation in the humanitarian sphere was highlighted, enabling the Order to continue its commitment to the most vulnerable people in Bulgaria. Since 2005, the Order has been donating medical equipment, medicines, food, clothing and school supplies to hospitals, schools, orphanages, hospices and institutions for people with disabilities, as well as offering hot meals to the homeless. Following the conflict in Ukraine, since 2022, the Order has been supporting refugee families and running summer camps on the Black Sea for disadvantaged children. In partnership with a National Health Organization, a new health and rehabilitation centre in Sofia to provide free assistance is being studied.

With regard to the ongoing conflicts on the international stage, the President and the Grand Commander shared a common appeal for peace as the supreme value to be restored globally.