[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





            CELEBRATING 120 YEARS OF U.S.-BULGARIA RELATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 20, 2023

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate 120 
years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Bulgaria.
  I will always cherish serving as an International Republican 
Institute election observer welcomed to Sofia by Professor Stefan 
Stoyanov for the first post-communist election on June 10, 1990. 
Arriving in communist Bulgaria was shocking to step back into the 1930s 
of pathetic economic development and now it is energizing to visit 
modern Bulgaria with opportunities for all succeed.
  Today, the U.S. Department of State issued the following statement:

       ``On September 19, 1903, John B. Jackson, Minister to 
     Greece, Romania, and Serbia, presented his credentials to 
     serve as the first U.S. Diplomatic Agent to Bulgaria--six 
     years prior to Bulgaria's proclamation of full independence 
     from the Ottoman Empire. Today, we celebrate the one hundred 
     and twentieth anniversary of that act and the establishment 
     of diplomatic relations between our two great nations. Our 
     relationship as bilateral partners, and our friendship as 
     members of the transatlantic family of nations, has never 
     been stronger.
       ``The United States and Bulgaria work closely together on a 
     multitude of issues. Our shared commitment to provide 
     military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in the face 
     of Russia's brutal war of aggression remains firm. We 
     continue to deepen our collaboration on vital regional and 
     global security issues as NATO Allies, working side by side 
     in the NATO battlegroup hosted by Bulgaria and training 
     together on a regular basis. Our nations are expanding 
     cooperation on economic and energy issues to increase 
     prosperity . . . and reduce Bulgaria's reliance on Russian 
     energy sources. Together, we are working to strengthen the 
     rule of law and to boost democratic resilience against state-
     sponsored disinformation and malign influence. We also 
     partner to promote innovation and economic opportunity 
     through academic and professional exchanges and robust 
     commercial relationships.
       ``People-to-people ties have been the bedrock of our a 
     Bulgarian-American, began serving as the first U.S. Consular 
     Agent in Bulgaria in 1912. Today, there are nearly 250,000 
     Bulgarians living in the United States, and nearly 90,000 
     Americans living in or traveling to Bulgaria every year. The 
     warm relationship between our nations, based on shared 
     transatlantic values, relationship since even before Asen 
     Kermekchiev common interests, and family and cultural ties, 
     continues to grow. We look forward to another one hundred and 
     twenty years of friendship.''

  Bulgaria is a valued ally in the ongoing Global War on Terrorism and 
now, sadly with the murderous invasion by war criminal Putin of 
Ukraine, Bulgaria is a stalwart for Democracies Rule of Law opposing 
Dictators with Rule of Gun.
  There is a bipartisan appreciation of Bulgaria where I am grateful to 
co-chair the Congressional Bulgaria Caucus with Representatives Brad 
Schneider (IL), Richard Neal (MA), and Neal Dunn (FL). Bulgaria has 
been professionally represented by talented ambassadors such as Elena 
Poptodorova, Tihomir Stoytchev, and now Georgi Panayotov.
  America wants the best for Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and 
President Rumen Radev for the citizens of Bulgaria.

                          ____________________