SOFIA, Bulgaria — President Blair S. Bennett of the Bulgaria Sofia Mission and his wife, Sister Mary Jane Bennett, met with Matei Iliev, Councilor of Religious Affairs to President Georgi Parvanov of the Republic of Bulgaria, on Jan. 30.
During the meeting in the presidential palace, President Bennett delivered a congratulatory letter from President Gordon B. Hinckley to President Parvanov upon his re-election to a second presidential term. The letter, said Councilor Iliev, would be delivered to President Parvanov upon his return from abroad.
Councilor Iliev recounted the history of Bulgaria and the events that have led to religious tolerance in the country and noted the presence of many faiths in the center of the capital city of Sofia, including an LDS meetinghouse. Councilor Iliev explained that President Parvanov, a historian by education, has a great appreciation for religious freedom and its importance in shaping the destiny of a nation. Bulgarian law now grants its citizens freedom of religious choice.
President Bennett presented copies of Church scriptures to the Presidential library, along with other printed materials about the Church's doctrines and history. He emphasized that the Church is in the country to serve the people of Bulgaria.
