President Rumen Radev hosted an official iftar dinner

The President Rumen Radev hosted an official iftar dinner on the occasion of the beginning of the holy for the Muslims month of Ramadan.

For several years now the head of the Bulgarian state traditionally invites at the beginning of the month of Ramadan representatives of all official religious denomination in Bulgaria for iftar dinner.

In his address to the participants the President Rumen Radev said: “We all realize our responsibility which we have to the future generations – to bequeath to them the values and the virtues which we inherited fromour ancestors, our homes to be open to the needy, our hearts to be open to the afflicted, and in our prayers and our deeds to seek peace for the world in which we live.”

The head of state addressed the leaders of the religious denominations in Bulgaria with the words: “I do believe that only through united efforts we can meet the challenges of the contemporary world and not to let hatred and animosity to prevail.

Radev also urged “to continue to share both workdays and holidays and to build the Tomorrow of our children in our common home – Bulgaria.”

Special guest of the official event was the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegović.

According to the head of state Rumen Radev “the presence of Bakir Izetbegović at the iftar dinner proves that the Balkan Leaders are deeply aware of their responsibility to all citizens in our region.”

During the dinner the Grand Mufti of the Muslims in the Republic of Bulgaria Dr. Mustafa Hadzhi said: “Against the background of the violence worldwide, we in Bulgaria live together and I do believe that if the people around the world know about the tolerance in Bulgaria, they would learn from us”.

The Grand Mufti said that the month of Ramadan is a blessing which brings people closer and in this way they become better and stronger.

The official iftar dinner was also attended by the Secretary General of the Holy Synod His Eminence Melnishki Bishop Gerasim, representatives of the traditional religious denominations in Bulgaria, representatives of the political parties represented in the parliament, cultural and artistic actors, diplomatic representatives and public figures.