Greetings of Ambassadors to Bulgaria for the International Roma day

8th of April is International Roma Day. 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the First International Roma Congress in London, which marked the beginning of the modern Roma movement. On this occasion, Amalipe Center organizes many events at local and national level. We also invited representatives of the Informal Group of Ambassadors on Roma Issues in Bulgaria to share words about the Roma community.

We responded to the invitation:
H.E. Muriel Berset Kohen: Ambassador of Switzerland to Bulgaria
Н. Е. Bea ten Tusscher, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bulgaria
Н. Е. Alejandro Polanco, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Bulgaria
H. E. Kristiina Kuvaja-Xanthopoulos, Ambassador of Finland to Bulgaria
H. E. Siri Beate Barry, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Bulgaria
Mr. Fabrizio Zarcone – World Bank Country Managerfor Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovakia, Europe and Central Asia
H.E. Dr. Rob Dixon, Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Bulgaria

In their short messages, they pointed out what has been achieved in recent years, while not hiding the remaining challenges regarding Roma integration. They also acknowledged the contribution of civil society organizations and encouraged the Roma community to continue its efforts, which are efforts for all European citizens. Some of the ambassadors addressed greetings in Romani and waved the Romani flag.

See the video greetings of the ambassadors here

The short video with the messages of the diplomats was presented during the Discussion Forum: OPRE ROMA! We are not alone! Keep moving forward together ! organized by the Amalipe Center on April 8. The forum was attended by over 100 Roma activists from 4 different generations, representatives of 10 embassies, 8 ambassadors and representatives of two general directorates of the European Commission. See more about the forum here