On 30 January 2013, the American Ambassador to Bulgaria, H.E. Marcie B. Ries, gave her first public speech since the second inauguration of Obama. The event was organized by The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, together with the Embassy of the United States in Bulgaria and with the special support of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. 

The main topic of Mrs. Ries’s speech was the US-Bulgarian bilateral relationship. Ries emphasized the positive relationship over the past years and highlighted the common fundamental values that both partners shared. The Ambassador covered topics ranging from international security, trade, energy and organized crime, to work and travel and exchange opportunities for young people.

Ries emphasized the role of non-governmental organizations in the establishment of long-lasting international cooperation and stressed the importance of people-to-people relationships, highlighting that the future of the Bulgarian-American relationship lied in the hands of its people. To promote better relationships between the people of these two nations, Ries expressed her desire to expand the work and travel opportunities for students.

Following the lecture, the floor was open for aquestions.