Bulgarians pay tribute to ancient founders of Slavic Script
Bulgarians turned out en masse on Saturday to honour the legacy of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the ancient founders of the Cyrillic alphabet, during one of their most important cultural and national holidays named after the two brothers.
People gathered to lay flowers at the base of a statue of Cyril and Methodius in central Sofia, the capital.
The saints were born in today's Greece in the 9th century and are credited with creating an alphabet for the Slavic people that was later adapted during the first Bulgarian Empire, which later evolved into the Cyrillic alphabet.
"The biggest and most significant gift that the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius left to Bulgaria was writing," Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said during the formal ceremony in Sofia.
The mayor of Sofia, who spoke at the ceremony, also reminded the crowd of the influence language holds.
Saints Cyril and Methodius left behind a legacy that goes much beyond the development of the Cyrillic and Glagolitic alphabets.
In the Slavic world and Bulgaria's cultural and spiritual evolution, their work represents a watershed moment in the history of the Orthodox Church and the country's contribution to Christianity.
Sometimes called a "Spiritual Easter," 11 May and 24 May are now recognised as the Days of Bulgarian Education and Culture and of the Slavic Alphabet.
Today, the majority of Slavic nations use the Cyrillic alphabet, including Mongolia, which adopted the script in 1941.
Syrians on the streets of Damascus on Saturday welcomed the move by the Trump administration to ease sanctions imposed on the war-torn country.
Their celebration follows the formal easing of sanctions by the EU earlier this week and that of the US announced last week during US President Donald Trump's Middle East tour.
'Yesterday, when I read the news that the Caesar sanctions are actually being lifted, especially after the reports we heard in recent weeks, I honestly cried," a resident, Zeina Shahla, told local media.
"We're finally seeing real steps toward the country's recovery,' she added.
The sanctions relief follows the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. On Tuesday, the EU said it adopted a gradual and reversible approach in order to support Syria's transition and economic recovery, which followed the suspension of some economic sanctions in February.
For the US, the congressional sanctions, known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, aimed to isolate Syria's previous rulers by effectively expelling those doing business with them from the global financial system.
However, a Treasury Department action has now suspended enforcement of sanctions against anyone doing business with a range of Syrian individuals and entities, including Syria's central bank.
And a measure by the State Department waived for six months a tough set of sanctions imposed by Congress in 2019.
They specifically block post-war reconstruction, so while they can be waived for 180 days by executive order, investors are likely to be wary of reconstruction projects when sanctions could be reinstated after six months.
US President Donald Trump granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions in a major first step toward fulfilling his pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 14 years of civil war.
Syria's foreign ministry said Saturday that the country 'extends its hand' to anyone that wants to cooperate with Damascus, on the condition that there is no intervention in the country's internal affairs.
On Friday, the Trump administration said the actions were 'just one part of a broader US government effort to remove the full architecture of sanctions.'
Those penalties had been imposed on the Assad family for their support of Iranian-backed militias, their chemical weapons programme and abuse of civilians.
Damascus resident Nael Kaddah said now that the sanctions are being eased, the country will flourish again.
For Kaddah, Syrians will be able to transfer money freely, unlike in the past when there were several companies that monopolized the business and took large commissions on transfers.
'Now any citizen can receive a transfer from anywhere in the world,' he said.
The EU and the US say the removal of sanctions aims to give the interim Syrian government a better chance of survival, a key decision that the administration in Damascus has welcomed.
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