SOFIA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A special postage stamp marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and China was released at a ceremony in Sofia on Wednesday.
With a circulation of 6,000 copies, the stamp depicts the number 75 in the colors of the national flags of both countries, as well as a giant panda and bamboo. Issued by the Bulgarian Posts, it has a nominal value of 3.60 BGN (1.93 U.S. dollars), enough to send a letter to China.
Addressing the event, Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dai Qingli said the giant panda is China's "most adorable diplomatic envoy" and beloved by people around the world, adding that bamboo - an evergreen plant - symbolizes the relations between the two countries, which are stable and sustainable.
Dai explained that the number "75" resembles a silk ribbon, symbolizing the connection between the peoples of the two countries, who have exchanged goods, ideas and cultures through the Silk Road.
"Philately is often thought of as an art library that holds the history of countries, nations, and I would add, friendships," Dimitar Nedyalkov, Bulgarian deputy minister of transport and communications, said at the ceremony.
"Bulgaria highly values its relations with China, which today cover numerous areas of fruitful cooperation," said Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nevyana Miteva, who also attended the ceremony.
"The issuance of this stamp is a very strong sign that the relations between Bulgaria and China have not only a history, not only a present, but also a good future," Mihail Mikov, former president of the Bulgarian National Assembly, told Xinhua after the event.
Spas Panchev, president of the Union of Bulgarian Philatelists, told Xinhua that the stamp is an opportunity to enrich the collections of philatelists both in Bulgaria and in China.
