MOSCOW, October 21. /TASS/. Russia is grateful to Bulgaria’s authorities, that are creating favorable conditions for the study of the Russian language, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a joint news conference after negotiations with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bulgaria Ekaterina Zakharieva on Monday.

"Gratitude was conveyed to Bulgaria’s government for the taken measures to create favorable conditions for the study of the Russian language, which has been the second popular foreign language in Bulgaria for about 10 years already," Lavrov said.

"We are happy that the Bulgarian youth shows great interest in receiving higher education in Russia. This year 230 students from Bulgaria were admitted to Russian higher educational institutions and will study at the expense of the federal budget. Several hundred Russian citizens, for their part, study in Bulgaria’s higher educational institutions," the minister noted.