During a recent visit to the United States, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha of Bulgaria was honored and spoke at a November 14th reception hosted by the Lillian Vernon Center for International Affairs.

The Prime Minister briefly discussed Bulgaria’s role in the Balkans and its aspirations for European Union (EU) and NATO membership. Mr. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha also answered questions, commenting on domestic and international issues ranging from the transition to a market economy and the energy sector to how to deal with corruption and Bulgaria’s relations with neighboring states.

Mr. Saxe-Coburg-Gotha was appointed prime minister of Bulgaria in June 2001 after his National Movement Party won over 50% of the vote in parliamentary elections that month. He is the former King Simeon II of Bulgaria.

Pictured above (l to r) are: NYU Trustee H. Dale Hemmerdinger (WSC ’67), NYU President L. Jay Oliva, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and SCPS Dean David Finney. The Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Stoyan Ganev, is a former faculty member of the International Affairs Program at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.