On Bulgaria's Independence Day, marked on September 22, President Rumen Radev said on Facebook: "Independence is not just a historical date but a lesson in wise statesmanship. Today we pay tribute to the political maturity of our ancestors, who declared Bulgaria an independent State. Since 1908, the Bulgarian people have repeatedly proved that they have both the will and the strength to determine their own future, BTA reported.
"It is naive and dangerous to expect someone else to solve our problems and defend our national interests. We must hold institutions accountable and make sure they follow the will of the people. We must assert our democratic rights.
"Independence means being sovereign in our relations with the world and free in expressing our democratic will. We must defend these rights against any encroachment. Our success is possible only if, in Bulgaria, the law is synonymous with justice, and the Constitution and laws stand above any political gain," President Radev said.
Veliko Tarnovo is the centre of Monday's celebrations of the 117th anniversary of the Proclamation of Bulgaria's Independence.
By a resolution of the 38th National Assembly on September 10, 1998, the day of Bulgaria's declaration of independence was reinstated as an official holiday.