Vice president-elect Kiril Valchev visited Ivaylovgrad today. Mayor Diana Ovcharova welcomed him in person at the Ancient Villa Armira.
Valchev was elected on 1 November on a presidential ticket with Iliana Yotova. The visit is one of his first public appearances in Bulgaria since the vote. Guests included MPs and officials from the town administration and the municipal council.
The visit coincided with the "Trahanata – slow food, nature and crafts" festival, which brought together food producers, craftspeople, artists and visitors from across Bulgaria. The festival aims to keep alive and pass on traditional knowledge, flavours and skills.
A statement made on behalf of "all of us", with no author named, calls the visit a great honour and a mark of recognition for Ivaylovgrad. It thanks Valchev for choosing the town and the villa for the meeting. Hosting him is an honour for the town, the statement says, and visitors get a chance to see the riches and hospitality of the region. It adds that heritage lives on when it is passed from one generation to the next.
The same statement calls the villa, also known as the "Armira Palace", a treasure of Bulgaria's cultural and historical heritage, a source of pride for Ivaylovgrad and a place that shows Bulgaria to the world. It says the villa stands out for its architecture, mosaics and marble decoration, and has artistic and historical value.
Follow-up: Festival near Ivaylovgrad raises money for museum in Pelevun