Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria Elena Poptodorova and her husband Georgi Petrov celebrated the National Day of the Republic of Bulgaria, which falls on March 3, at the Organization of American States on March 5. The ambassador expressed her appreciation to the musicians for the beautiful rendition of the countries’ national anthems. She called the occasion a day of optimism and acknowledged U.S. government representatives, members of the armed services and the diplomatic corps. She cited Bulgaria’s membership in NATO and the European Union and thanked civil society and Washington society for their consistent friendship.?