Karnobat mayor Georgi Dimitrov, who has held the post for five terms, has received a jubilee award from the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB), the association said. The awards were presented at the Annual Meeting of Local Authorities in Albena.
NAMRB honoured mayors, municipal council members and journalists. It said the awards recognise long-term contributions to its development, defence of the interests of Bulgarian municipalities and coverage of local self-government.
Dimitrov won in the category for long-term contribution to the development and standing of the association. The category is for mayors with long service who have taken part in the association's leadership. The same award went to Zlatko Zhivkov, mayor of Montana for 7 consecutive terms, engineer Hasan Azis, mayor of Kardzhali for five terms, and Dr Emil Kabaivanov, mayor of Karlovo for five terms. Ivo Dimov, mayor of Dimitrovgrad for 4 terms, also received the award.
The same category also honoured Troyan mayor Donka Mihaylova, former Dobrich mayor Detelina Nikolova, Mezdra mayor Ivan Asparuhov and Vratsa mayor Kalin Kamenov. They were recognised for their work on the NAMRB Management Board and for defending the interests of municipalities in various areas of public policy.
Stefan Sofiyanski, Vladimir Moskov, Dimitar Nikolov, Ivaylo Simeonov and Radoslav Revanski are also among the winners, but were not at the ceremony. Luchezar Rosenov, Venelin Uzunov and Assoc. Prof. Dr Ginka Chavdarova received their awards in February, at the association's General Assembly.
A separate category covered long-serving mayors and chairs of municipal councils who contributed to the development of NAMRB. It honoured Nikolay Dachev, Dilyan Enkin, Veselin Zlatev, Georg Spartanski, Dr Krasimir Dzhonev, engineer Dilyan Mlazev, Ivan Aleksiev and Dr Darin Dimitrov. The association gave them awards for their long service in local government, their part in running NAMRB and their contribution to legislation, financial decentralisation and the representation of municipalities. Vladimir Kisyov, Vladimir Georgiev, Tanya Hristova and Rumen Guninski were honoured in the same category but were absent.
Eight journalists are also among the winners. They are Hristina Hristova and Simeon Ivanov of the BNT morning show "The Day Begins", Dimitar Abrashev, host of "Direktno" on Bulgaria On Air, and Reneta Nikolova, editor-in-chief and authorised signatory of the newspaper Stroitel. Awards also went to Tanya Milusheva of the "Horizont" programme of BNR, Silvia Georgieva of the newspaper Sega, Tatyana Dimitrova of Dnevnik and Ani Baldzhiyan of Euronews Bulgaria. NAMRB said it honoured them because they consistently cover the problems and decisions of local government and present the municipal view to a national audience.
The longest-serving mayors Vladimir Moskov, Lyudmil Veselinov and Hristo Hristov will receive their awards after the Annual Meeting.