Bulgaria’s Vice President Iliana Iotova opened the new school year at the Bulgarian Sunday School ‘’Zora’’ in Elbasan (Albania). In her words, there is a growing interest in learning Bulgarian among the Bulgarian community in Albania.

According to Iliana Iotova, Elbasan can become a center of Bulgarianness with the help of people. Vice President Iotova mentioned the idea of offering studies in Bulgarian language at the University of Elbasan.

Iliana Iotova visited Albania on the eve of the population census in that country. She expressed hope that there would be an awareness-raising campaign for Bulgarians living in less accessible areas, so they can participate in the census and freely state their origin and identity.

"My second concern comes from the numerous signals that emissaries of other ethnic communities explain to the people from the Bulgarian minority that they are Macedonians, that they are not Bulgarians. This is an extremely malicious campaign that is unworthy of the 21st century, because one must be free to defend one's identity’’, Iliana Iotova said.

• Bulgaria supports Albania's EU membership, Vice President Iotova said in Tirana