Summary and translation of a press release from the Luxembourg Government (the press release can be found here). French is not one of my natural languages, so I hope my translation is okay.
State Visit by the Grand Duke and Duchess to the Republic of Bulgaria
On the invitation of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa will go on a State Visit to Bulgaria during 11-13 October.
The Grand Ducal Couple will be accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration and wife. The couple and their delegation will be accommodated at the Place Alexander Nevski in the centre of the capital Sofía.
# On the first day of the State Visit, Tuesday 11 October, after the welcoming ceremony and the military ceremonials, the Grand Ducal Couple will visit the Monument of the Unknown Soldier where they will pay their respects. They will also be given time for discussion with the Presidential Couple of Bulgaria, and after that they will go on a guided tour to the Saint Alexander Nevski Cathedral. On the evening of the 11th, the President and his wife will host a Gala Dinner at the Presidential Palace in the honour of the Grand Ducal Couple.
# On the second day of the State Visit, Wednesday 12 October, the Grand Ducal Couple will visit the National History Museum where they will have time to admire to admire the collections recalling the history of Bulgaria. After that, the Grand Duke will visit the National Assembly together with their Speaker, while the Grand Duchess and the wife of the President of Bulgaria will take part in the celebration of the tenth birthday of the S.O.S. Children’s Village in Dren, 45 km south-east of the capital Sofía. In the village of Dren, the Grand Duchess will visit the Luxembourg House and the first “mother” in the village and her six children. The Grand Duchess will also inaugurate a monument honouring the founder of the first S.O.S. Children’s Village. This visit will then be followed by a lunch offered by the wife of the President in the honour of the Grand Duchess, including important Bulgarian women personalities in the economic world, sports, care and associations. At the same time, the President of Bulgaria will host a lunch for the Grand Duke and the Luxembourg Minister for Foreign Affairs.
During the afternoon of the second day of the State Visit, there will be a visit to the monastery Rila, located 120 km south of the capital Sofía. The monastery is on the UNCESCO list of world heritages and has been so since 1983, it symbolizes the awakening of the Slavic cultural identity after centuries of occupation. In the evening, the Grand Ducal Couple will host a concert in honour of the Presidential Couple. The concert will be followed by a reception and dinner.
# On the third day of the State Visit, Thursday 13 October, the programme includes a visit to the town of Plovdiv, located at the centre of Bulgaria, the second largest town in the country with 350 000 inhabitants. The Grand Ducal Couple, accompanied by the Deputy Mayor, will visit the old city and the traditional houses that hosts collections from local artists. The day also holds a visit to the monastery of Bachkovo, on the list of UNESCO world heritages, it was built in 1083, which hosts among the oldest religious monuments and painting in Bulgaria and the Balkans.
I like seeing Henri and Maria smiling still after all these years married. Also seeing more and more progress of new up-to-date technology happening in Luxembourg. I hope the new train have great success for the citizens all over.
