Inauguration of the Honorary Consulate of Romania in Ruse

Intro

On October 17, 2025, an Honorary Consulate of Romania was inaugurated in the building of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce in Ruse. Viktor Gugushev, lawyer and president of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce, became Honorary Consul of Romania in Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, and Pleven. Below is a transcript of the speeches given at the official inauguration of the consulate.

Here is a video from the event with automatically generated English subtitles.

Opening remarks

Brândușa Predescu, Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria:

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the inauguration of the Honorary Consulate of Romania in Ruse. As host of the ceremony and Ambassador of Romania to Bulgaria, I have the great pleasure of introducing the Honorary Consul of Romania, Victor Gugushev.

Welcome to the official ceremony. We are honored that you have accepted our invitation. We would like to begin, as is customary, by giving the floor to the highest-ranking representatives, after which we will give the floor to the Honorary Consul of Romania, Victor Gugushev.

I will begin with the government representative, the regional governor, Mr. Dragomir Draganov, who will introduce our new consul.

Dragomir Draganov, Local Governor of the Ruse Region:

Good afternoon!

I am delighted to be here with you and to inaugurate the fourth honorary consulate in the city of Ruse, together with Mr. Gugushev. This is the first honorary consulate of an EU country. We hope that, as envisaged in the objectives of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce, this will further deepen the cultural, commercial, and economic ties between Bulgaria and Romania.

Ruse will be the center of the whole of Northern Bulgaria, from Vidin to Silistra, where Romanian citizens can benefit from relevant advisory assistance. And if problems arise, they can find a solution. On behalf of the Bulgarian government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I wish Mr. Gugushev a successful term.

We, as the regional administration, will cooperate and always stand by him to help him in his work.

We hope that the office, which also has a representative, will be visited frequently and that the problems of Romanian citizens will be solved. Given that we have joined the Schengen area and that the renovation of the Friendship Bridge will be completed by the end of June next year, we expect even more visits by Romanian tourists and citizens to Bulgaria. Therefore, the consul’s work will be extremely important. On behalf of the prefecture, I would like to present him with a painting that symbolises the city of Ruse. Congratulations! I wish you a successful term of office.

Ambassador Brândușa Predescu:

Thank you very much, Mr. Governor, for these words on behalf of the Bulgarian government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

And now I have the opportunity to ask the mayor of this wonderful city, Mr. Pencho Milkov, to say a few words.

Pencho Milkov, Mayor of Ruse:

Your Excellency, Ambassador Predescu, Your Excellency, Ambassador Vlaykov, distinguished consuls, Mr. Gugushev, distinguished consul, Mr. Milkov, dear fellow citizens, distinguished deputy mayors. For me today, and for all the residents of Ruse, the decision of the Romanian state, with your extremely active position and active actions in Ruse, to open such an honorary consulate is a huge step, which is historic.

Our nations are sisters. Our history is shared. Our present is shared. And our future is shared.

I know Mr. Gugushev in his capacity as a lawyer. I believe you have made an excellent choice for the position of honorary consul, to whom you can entrust this responsible task.

Ruse was a consular city with thirteen consulates. That is why I say that your work restores some of our pride. As mayor of Ruse, I am here today with all my deputies, the municipal secretary, and the director of the International Directorate, so that from day one we can establish working contacts with the consulate team and offer you our full cooperation in your work.

I will conclude my short speech with one thing. The patron saint of the cities of Ruse and Giurgiu is Saint George. Our twin city, Giurgiu, bears the name of Saint George. And I will hand this icon to Mr. Gugushev.

I wrote on the back: “May this give you the strength to fight for the rights of the two brotherly peoples.” I wrote the date to mark this wonderful day. Good luck!

Ambassador Brândușa Predescu:

Thank you very much for these warm words, which give me confidence that I, as ambassador, and Mr. Gugushev, as honorary consul, will be able to count even more than before on the cooperation and support of the local administration.

And now, as I am taking advantage of Mr. Gugushev’s privilege for the entire ceremony, I will make a small change in diplomatic protocol and give the floor to the Bulgarian ambassador in Bucharest to say a few words. I invite him as a personal guest and as proof that the way we work, our relationship on a professional and personal level, is exceptional.

H.E. Radko Vlaykov, Bulgarian Ambassador to Romania:

First of all, dear Brandușa, honorable consul, Mr. Viktor Gugushev, honorable regional governor, ladies and gentlemen. Despite the solemnity of the moment, I will begin with something else. I would like to express the sympathy of the Bulgarian state and the Bulgarian people to the Romanian state and the Romanian people, and especially to the residents of Bucharest, for the tragic incident that took place this morning, which caused casualties and numerous injuries following an explosion in a residential building in Sector 5 of Bucharest. May God rest the souls of those who died and give strength to their loved ones. Thank you, Your Excellency, for the invitation and for your warm words.

I am as happy as you are about the opening of Romania’s fourth honorary consulate in Bulgaria, after Silistra, Varna, and Plovdiv. I believe that one of the most natural places for such an honorary consulate was in Ruse. This year, we ambassadors have reason to rejoice, because an honorary consulate of Bulgaria was opened in Cluj-Napoca, and now one of Romania in Ruse. This is an extremely important sign of the dynamic development of Romanian-Bulgarian relations.

I know Mr. Gugushev well in his capacity as president of the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria. I agree with the mayor’s statement that you have made a very good choice, because he is a very energetic person who will spare no effort to contribute to our joint efforts to develop Romanian-Bulgarian relations. This is very important for Ruse. But the assessments made by the regional governor and the mayor were good, that this is a very natural place. And I would agree that the importance we attach to the Danube River and our common border, all areas in this region, a significant part of which is covered by the regional governor, provides an opportunity for the honorary consul, which is also very important. So, I wish you all the best and I am convinced that your work and the activities of the honorary consul will contribute significantly to the development of Romanian-Bulgarian relations.

I will allow myself just a brief comment. Much has been said here about resolving consular issues, etc. Knowing the honorary consul and his character, I believe that his role offers an excellent opportunity for business in Ruse and the surrounding area. In my opinion, this is one of the main factors, and I am convinced that, just as Romania is Bulgaria’s second largest trading partner and Bulgaria is Romania’s fourth or fifth largest trading partner, with the help of your activities, the figures will become even more convincing in this region. So this is indeed an extremely important moment for both Ruse and Bulgaria.

Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria, H.E. Brândușa Predescu:

Thank you very much for your words, my friend and colleague, Mr. Ambassador. You have made my speech easier. Why? Because you said a few things that I was going to mention myself. But I will say a few words anyway.

For Romania, for the Romanian state, the decision to open a new honorary consulate here in Bulgaria is a clear expression of the sincere and undeniable interest of Bucharest, of my country, in further deepening relations with your country at all levels. As you well know, the role of the honorary consul is important and is regulated by the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations between States. I remind you of this legal framework to emphasize that this is indeed a solemn moment and an important ceremony, as it signifies a new confidence on the part of the Romanian state in bilateral relations and, of course, in the person of the honorary consul. Of course, the honorary consul cannot act alone. He must cooperate and coordinate with the embassy of the country that appointed him. He needs the constant support and cooperation of the authorities, organizations, and citizens of the region in which he operates in order to protect and represent the interests of the country that appointed him, namely Romania.

As other speakers have said about the honorary presence of the Romanian state in Bulgaria, this is the fourth honorary consulate we are opening and the second after the one in Plovdiv, which I proposed and opened during my term of office. And for the residents of Ruse, it is truly very important because, as I understand it, this is the fourth honorary consulate, but the first in which we will continue to work under a common flag, namely the flag of the European Union. This flag has a symbolism that goes beyond these words, and I am a little, how shall I say, very emotional, but it is important to be happy and proud and to realize that our journey today and from now on does not begin, of course, in this beautiful building, but continues under the same flag and goes in one direction, together in the European Union.

Romanians plus Bulgarians equals Europeans. A simple equation.

Very important. Mr. Victor Gugushev, lawyer Victor Gugushev, officially becomes Romania’s honorary consul for three regions in Bulgaria, namely your region – Ruse, Pleven, and Veliko Tarnovo.

Pleven and Veliko Tarnovo are two regions of historical significance for Romanians. These regions are in their hearts. Pleven – because of our shared history of liberation from Romanian rule for Romanians and Bulgarians. Next week, in the context of Romanian Army Day, we will probably have the pleasure, together with the honorary consul, of laying flowers at the military monuments in Pleven, Grivița, and others.

Veliko Tarnovo is also a historic place. It was here that Bulgaria’s first constitution was created. It is a key place where Romanians feel at home and visit often. However, we chose and proposed Ruse as the seat of the honorary consulate to give it consular status. We were sure that we would be welcomed with open arms everywhere. But here in Ruse, you are already close to the rest of Europe thanks to the Danube Euroregion.

Ruse is the center where local and regional authorities and citizens on both sides of the Danube are closest. It is a place with a shared history. It is the gateway to each other. Business people cooperate here, and we, the Romanian Embassy in Sofia, have had a partnership with the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce for over 20 years. We are proud that the president of the Chamber of Commerce has agreed to be our honorary consul. But an important part of the future of our relations as countries is also being built here. And with this future in mind, which can only be better, more connected, with even more friendship and interaction between us, today we are opening the consulate in your city.

I would not like to end without officially thanking the Bulgarian government and the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their cooperation and promptness in approving the appointment of Mr. Gugushev and, of course, for opening the honorary consulate.

I would like to conclude by wishing Mr. Gugushev and his team every success and conveying words of encouragement and good luck from the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs. And on behalf of all of you who are here today and those you represent in various capacities, the local authorities, of course, the university, the business community, but also the citizens of the entire region, I would like to thank you in advance, because I know that you will be as open as ever towards Romania, towards our diplomatic presence, but also towards the honorary diplomatic presence. This is an honorable position, for which we thank Mr. Gugushev, but also all the honorary consuls present, who carry out extremely important voluntary work for bilateral relations between countries.

Last but not least, I would like to give the floor to the star of today’s event, Mr. Viktor Gugushev, Honorary Consul of Romania.

Viktor Gugushev, Honorary Consul of Romania for Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, and Pleven:

Dear Ambassador Predescu, dear guests, and representatives of the media present here.

It is a little difficult to say anything different from what the previous speakers have said. But it is indeed an honor and a pleasure for me that you are taking the time to listen to me as, starting today, I have been appointed Honorary Consul of Romania, which is Bulgaria’s second largest trading partner, which in turn is Romania’s fifth largest trading partner. I believe that we could build even deeper relations between the two countries in the fields of culture, business, economic and diplomatic cooperation.

We are living in a time when what is written on the Bulgarian Parliament building now has greater significance, namely that “Unity makes strength.” The European Union is facing difficulties, and, dear colleagues, it is an honor for me to have the opportunity to be the first honorary consul of two countries, namely the Romanian state in Ruse, and I hope that this will indeed lead to closer economic cooperation, closer cultural cooperation, and closer cooperation in the field of education between the two countries.

Regional Governor Draganov hopes that we will have more positive reasons to welcome Romanian citizens than problems to solve. Regardless of the situation, as honorary consul, my team here in Ruse and I will always be ready to provide assistance with whatever is necessary to achieve good results and build on what the countries have created in recent years. I look forward to meeting again here in the future to celebrate the consulate’s successes and all that we have achieved. Indeed, I will rely heavily on the local administration, the representatives of the executive power, as well as the representatives of the agencies responsible for transport connectivity between Bulgaria and Romania, migration issues, and cultural cooperation.

I am very pleased to have been appointed honorary consul for three regions which, as Ambassador Predescu said, are regions that deeply connect the two peoples. Both Bulgaria and Romania have a common history linked to them, and this gives me even more opportunities to realize the difficulty and honor I have in being appointed honorary consul for these historic places.

Once again, I would like to thank Ambassador Predescu and the Romanian government for their trust. I would also like to thank the local authorities and their representatives present here for their support. I would like to thank everyone present for taking the time to participate and honor our event. Good luck to everyone! Thank you.

Closing remarks

Brândușa Predescu, Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria:

The ceremony will conclude with the signing of the cooperation protocol by the ambassador and the honorary consul, as well as the handover of official documents by the ambassador to the honorary consul. These two documents, which I will now explain, are: the consular patent, by which the Romanian state, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, appoints him honorary consul of Romania for Ruse, Pleven, and Veliko Tarnovo, and the exequatur (or: document of acceptance), the official document of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through which the Bulgarian state accepts Mr. Gugushev, respectively accepts Romania’s proposal.

(Ambassador Predescu and lawyer Victor Gugushev sign the relevant documents)

Thank you very much for your patience and for being here today. I believe the honorary consul has prepared some refreshments for the informal part of our event.

Thank you.

Viktor Gugushev: Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber has made proposals for an easier crossing of the Friendship Bridge

Photo: Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Brândușa Predescu presents lawyer Victor Gugushev with the documents appointing him as Romanian Honorary Consul in Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, and Pleven (source: The Bridge of Friendship)

Subscribe to the channel of the blog “The Bridge of Friendship” in YouTube, where a number of video and audio interviews are published! The blog can also be followed in Facebook and Twitter. Its Telegram channel is here. And here is its Substack account.

About Author