Sofia to host 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media in May 2025

ISMAIL, Ukraine – Sofia will host the 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media on May 24, 2025, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev announced at the closing of the 19th edition in Ukraine held on June 18-21.

The BTA set the 20th World Meeting on May 24 which is the Day of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius, of the Bulgarian Alphabet, Education and Culture, and of Slavic Literature in Bulgaria

BTA has had five strategic goals in recent years and BTA has organized meetings dedicated to four of them, Valchev said.

The 2018 meeting in Skopje has a theme "Media and Memory", the 2021 meeting in Bulgaria's Rila monastery and Kyustendil was about "Media and the Truth", the 2022 meeting in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was about "Media and Salvation", the 2023 meeting in the Bulgarian town of Kazanlak was about "Media and Freedom".

"The fifth, and probably the major goal of the media, is knowledge," he said, referring to the motto of the next meeting. The last meeting's theme was "Media and Community".

Valchev said the point of these meetings is for the Bulgarian media to help preserve the Bulgarian community.

He said there should be a permanent narrative about Bulgarians abroad, which should be directed to them by the Bulgarian media around the world and the media in Bulgaria.

"There should be a much more systematic media coverage of educational opportunities in universities in Bulgaria," he added.

Organized by BTA, the 19th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media was held in Odesa, Bolhrad, and Izmail, Ukraine on June 21. It was supported by Aurubis Bulgaria, A1 Bulgaria, Glavbolgarstroy Holding AD, Euroins Insurance Group, Postbank, SOF Connect, and the 13 Centuries of Bulgaria National Endowment Fund.

During the 19th World Meeting in Ukraine, Valchev said the event is a sign that Bulgarians worldwide continue to be a resilient community with empathy for each other at hard times like war experienced by Bulgarians in Ukraine.

He also highlighted the role of the journalists in reporting stories where these occur "even under the deadly threat of a raging war."

Valchev also underscored the need to continue the meeting as he thanked the journalists who attended the 19th World Meeting.

"One of these ways is the BTA, as it tries to make Bulgarians in the rest of the world more visible, to disseminate information about them in Bulgaria, and to bring them news about Bulgaria," he said. (PNA)