On July 20, Ms. Jelena Filipovic-Stoyanov, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Montenegro in the Republic of Bulgaria,

hosted a reception at the Astoria Grand Hotel's "Opera" ballroom in honor of July 13 - the Statehood Day.

The event was attended by ministers, deputies, ambassadors, diplomats, cultural and public figures. The honorary guest at the reception was H.R.H. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

Jelena Filipovic-Stoyanov welcomed all her guests with a charming smile and genuine finesse. She then greeted them with the following words:

It is a great honor and pleasure for me to speak today on the occasion of July 13, the Statehood Day of Montenegro. For us, this date is of great importance, because on July 13, 1878, after the Berlin Congress, for the first time Montenegro was recognized as an independent and sovereign state. On the same date, during the Second World War, an uprising and struggle for liberation began in Montenegro.

Today, Montenegro is a reliable neighbour, a respected member of NATO and a leader in the negotiation process for EU accession. Despite all the challenges, European integration has no alternative and it is the main foreign policy priority of Montenegro. In light of the current global political situation, it is particularly important for the EU enlargement policy to be continued.

In this sense, I would like to thank the Republic of Bulgaria for its continuous support for the European integration of Montenegro and to emphasize the excellent political relations between our two countries. The dynamic of visits at the highest level is a confirmation of a strong partnership and here I would like just to point out the visit of the President of Montenegro to the Republic of Bulgaria in February this year, as well as the visit of the President of the Parliament of Montenegro in May of this year.

Apart from the excellent political relations, we are also connected by deep cultural and traditional ties, as you will see in the short film that we will have the pleasure to show you today "Renewal of the Montenegrin kingdom from 1910".

With the above in mind, now is the time to make further efforts to leverage the excellent political relationship through more dynamic economic cooperation. Special attention should be paid to infrastructure connectivity, in particular, the launch of a direct flight Podgorica-Sofija. Thus will create better conditions for the further development of our cooperation in the fields of tourism, trade and culture, it will also allow for improved connectivity between our friendly nations, which is of extreme importance.

Now I would like to thank our friends that support today’s event: the honorary consul of Montenegro Mr. Andon Tushev and his company TAL engineering; the Regional Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Balkans Mr. Predarg Amidzic and Mrs. Tatjana Amidzic; Mr. Nikolay Dimitrov and DAGAprint; as well as the unique Montenegrin winery “Plantaze”.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all the citizens of Montenegro on their national holiday - 13th of July, the Statehood Day!

Thank you everyone for being here today and making this event special with your presence!

The guests watched with interest the film "Restoration of the Montenegrin Kingdom from 1910", as well as video clips showcasing the breathtaking beauty of Montenegro. Those in attendance had the opportunity to see large posters featuring Montenegrin national costumes in full regalia. They also enjoyed the elegant reception and the exceptional quality of Montenegrin wine "Plantaze."

The photo was provided by the Embassy of Montenegro in the Republic of Bulgaria. On it: Mrs. Jelena Filipovic-Stoyanov, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of Montenegro in the Republic of Bulgaria