. bg ski news : IOC President Jacques Rogge visit Bulgaria - 20 January 2009 - 01:19
The President of the International Olympic Committee Jacques Rogge has arrived to Bulgaria for a two-day official visit on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. During the visit the guest met with senior government officials and will be awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the National Sports Academy.
The President Rogge met with the Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev for about 30 minutes. Their talks were held behind closed doors without media presence allowed.
After the meeting with the Bulgarian PM, Rogge visited the National History Museum in Sofia where he was met by the museum director Bozhidar Dimitrov and the Bulgarian sports legend and two-time Olympic champion Boyan Radev.
Radev made a donation to the museum on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC). The donation is an art piece depicting a man and a woman. Radev also gave Rogge a personal gift - a golden rhyton, replica of the one from the Bulgarian Panagurichte Treasure as well as little sculpture for Rogge's wife.
"Mr. Rogge I heartily plead you to help Bulgaria's sport in any way you can," the two times Olympic champion Radev said.
On his part Rogge offered Radev a medal in the form of the five Olympic circles.
The IOC President also received Bulgarian history books in English by Bozhidar Dimitrov. Rogge toured the museum guided by his Director Bozhidar Dimitrov, who told reporters: "Even Stanishev did not incite such interest."
Another meeting on Rogge's agenda was the one with Sofia's Mayor Boyko Borisov. Upon the meeting's conclusion, Borisov made the commitment for the establishment of an Olympic Law similar to the one in Greece.
Rogge told reporters that he had discussed with Borisov the development of sports in Bulgaria, and the country eventually applying to host the Winter Junior Olympics in 2016.
"The meeting with Borisov was extremely pleasant for me," Rogge stated.
In the evening the President of the IOC Jacques Rogge was special guest of the official ceremony on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee. The ceremony was held in National Museum of Archaeology in the center of Sofia.
Tomorrow the IOC President is scheduled to meet the Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.
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