The former vice president of Bulgaria, Angel Marin, has died at the age of 82.
According to a report by Novitiate, Marin served as the vice president from 2002 to 2012 and passed away on March 18. Marin's son, Simeon Marin, announced that the late vice president's funeral will be held in his hometown of Batak
Angel Ivanov Marin was known as a promenade politician and a distinguished Bulgarian officer, according to local media.
The late vice president held the position of vice president during the two terms of President Georgi Parvanov and supported the administration through the ten years he held office.
Due to his "significant contributions" to the country of Bulgaria, Marin was awarded the "Stara Planina" order in 2012 at the end of his time in office.
However, the former vice president made headlines when he chose to return the order and asserted that, citing his disagreement with the proposal signed by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
Marin voiced his position by stating, "I would accept them when another prime minister worthy of it made a proposal to award me."
🇧🇬 Former #Bulgarian Vice President Angel Marin Passes Away at 82 ➡️ https://t.co/vgLWoARuvy pic.twitter.com/9gfPiROkBl
— Novinite.com (@novinite_com) March 18, 2024
The president had voiced his objection to the award, asserting that Marin had gone so far as to pardon a number of criminals during his time in office. In spite of the kerfuffle that surrounded the bestowment of the award, the legacy of the late vice president is substantial.
Marin was known for a number of contributions, namely his dedication to the Bulgarian Army, where he made noteworthy additions to the assembly and development of the Ground Forces.
The former vice president was also commended for fostering connections with native Bulgarians who were at the time, residing outside the country's borders.
A recent report indicated that Bulgaria is asking for help from the United States to detach itself from Russia, which has had some power over the country's power grid.
Bulgaria constructed its sole nuclear power plant with assistance from the Soviet Union nearly 60 years ago.
The country is currently awaiting new fuel rods developed in the United States in the hopes of becoming one of the first nations from the Warsaw Pact to break free from its long-standing reliance on Russia.
The fuel, produced by American company Westinghouse, is scheduled to be sent from Sweden in the upcoming month and might be loaded into unit five of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Station as early as May.
This is according to a statement released last week by Tsanko Bachiiski, the chair of Bulgaria's Nuclear Regulatory Agency.
