A series of events dedicated to Bulgaria launched at Pierre Werner European Cultural Institute in Luxembourg

At the initiative of the Bulgarian embassy in Belgium a series of cultural events dedicated to Bulgaria was launched on 18 April 2007 at the Pierre Werner European Cultural Institute.

At the first event of the series Professor Ivailo Znepolski read a lecture on "The Other European Culture. Problems of the Cultural Periphery" before more than 100 guests. This was followed by an animated discussion of matters related to contemporary development of culture on a national and global scale.

The event paralleled by the opening of a photo exhibition of the 24 Chassa daily titled The 24 Wonders of Bulgaria. The exhibition was presented by Pierre Werner Director Mario Hirsch and the Bulgarian Ambassador to Belgium Hristo Georgiev.

In May 2007 the guests of the authoritative cultural institute will be acquainted with the Slavonic alphabet and in June it will host a presentation of the initiative of Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov about the cultural routes in Southeastern Europe.

The Pierre Werner Institute unites the efforts of cultural institutions from three European Union member-states – Aliance Franciase, Goethe Institut and the Ministry of Culture of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Treaty for the Accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union was signed in its building in 2005.

On 17 April 2007 Bulgarian culture was also presented in the Belgian city of Braine-l'Alleud, again with a lecture of Prof. Ivailo Znepolski. The guests of the event included the governor of the province of Walloon Brabant, MPs and deputy mayors of Braine-l'Alleud. Bulgarian violinist Peter Manouilov played at the event. There was also a screening of The Elder Brother, a film by Bulgarian National television journalist Boiko Vassilev dedicated to one of the inventors of the Slavonic alphabet St. Methodius.  

 
   
  New action of solidarity in Belgium with Bulgarian medics in Libya

 

On March 28, 2007, the Belgian nurses' federation FNIB organized a new action of solidarity with the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor in Libya. The campaign was within the framework of the first congress of Belgian nurses and gathered more than 1,800 medical professionals from all over the country. They all wore tricolour ribbons inscribed with “You Are Not Alone" from the campaign in support of the medics.

Belgium's Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Rudy Demotte, Senator Jacques Brotchi, politicians and journalists were special guests to the congress.
”Let your powerful message of hope cross the Mediterranean and reach the hearts of you innocent sentenced colleagues,” Minister Demotte said from the rostrum. “Let us tell them ‘You are not alone',” he added in Bulgarian.

Bulgaria's Ambassador in Brussels Hristo Georgiev thanked the participants in the congress and the leadership of the FNIB for the unrelenting energy with which it participates in Belgian actions in support of the sentenced medics. “Your solidarity is of special value because it is precisely you, as professionals, that know the real reasons for the infection and are in the clear that the Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor are innocent,” Ambassador Georgiev underscored.

Especially for the event Belgian singer Dominique sang a song composed as a sign of solidarity with the medics in Libya.

Earlier in the day a documentary titled "Injection" about the spread of the HIV virus was screened before the participants in the congress.