Indonesian Ambassador Receives Award From Bulgarian President

London, UK, Jan 20 (Antara) - The Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Bunyan Saptomo, has recieved the honor of Madara Horseman First Class, from the President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev. This honor is a tribute given by the Bulgarian government in recognition of Bunyan's services in improving bilateral relations between Indonesia and Bulgaria during the period of his assignment as Ambassador of Indonesia to Bulgaria, a statement issued by the Indonesian Embassy in Sofia and received by Antara here on Wednesday said. Bunyan has been the ambassador to Bulgaria since April 2012. The president said Bunyan has managed to strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries, as well as helped in building mutual respect and trust. President mentioned his contribution in facilitating a number of political high-level bilateral meetings in order to discuss ways to enhance trade, economics, cultural and educational relations between the two countries. "It was achieved, thanks to the dedication, energy and consistency of Mr. Bunyan Saptomo during his tenure in Bulgaria," the president said. Ambassador Bunyan said the bilateral relations will continue to grow since these are based on a strong foundation. Student exchanges between the two countries are increasing and are expected to strengthen the bilateral relations. Since September 2015, the government of Indonesia has established the Indonesian Honorary Consul in Varna, which is part of the efforts to boost economic and cultural relations, especially in the northeast region of Bulgaria. Recently, the Indonesian government has started providing free visas to the citizens of Bulgaria to improve business and cultural relations between the two countries.