MOSCOW, July 11. /TASS/. The traditionally close ties between Russia and Bulgaria will see the two countries through their current difficulties, Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Eleonora Mitrofanova said, speaking via video link at a round table on the history of military medicine.

"To be sure, July 7 <...> is a significant date for Russian-Bulgarian relations. It marks 145 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries," she said. "Russia and Bulgaria have a long and rich joint history, which goes back much further than the official establishment of diplomatic relations. Our common faith, written language, Slavic roots. All of this explains our special closeness, which persists even in these difficult times," she added.

The diplomat pointed out that she considers the Bulgarian Doctor's Monument in Sofia book translated into Russian a serious contribution to the preservation of the Russian-Bulgarian historical heritage and memory. "Of course, the Doctor's Monument in Sofia has a special place among the memorials dedicated to the Russo-Turkish war, as it commemorates the memory of doctors and junior medical officials who gave their lives in this war," Mitrofanova noted.

The ambassador also drew attention to the fact that Bulgarian doctors - graduates of Russian and Romanian medical schools - also participated in the war. "Many of them joined the Bulgarian militia and were in the ranks of the Russian army. Others were engaged in creating hospitals in the liberated areas. The appointment of these first doctors marked the beginning of the Bulgarian military medical service," she emphasized.