(ANSA) - PARIS - "Bulgaria is returning to its place of a respected European country, after it was in isolation for a year and a half", Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said during the official opening of the exhibition entitled The Epic of the Thracian Kings - Archeological Discoveries in Bulgaria at the Louvre Museum in Paris, as a press release of Council of ministers of Bulgaria reported.

According to the Prime Minister, the fact that the Louvre opened its doors to a Bulgarian exhibition was a sign of respect towards Bulgaria and what was being done, towards the government, towards ministers, towards culture. "You see how people welcome us; you remember how they welcomed (former Prime Minister) Oresharski," Borissov said. "Minister Rashidov raised the bar very high," the Prime Minister added.

Prime Minister Borissov highlighted the fact that French President Francois Holland and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, as well as former President Sarkozy, had noted how important and stable Bulgaria was and what a good partner it was as a country. "Now we need more investors in order to become an average European country, which we are in reality and can be, with joint efforts", the Prime Minister said.

"Entering this building, we enter the history of world culture and we are now recognized as a globally important country in the cultural domain", Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov said. "We have masterpieces. We are a nation that rests on three cultures.

We should be proud and have more self-esteem," Rashidov stressed, adding that the exhibition had already received invitations from other places.

The Bulgarian exhibition is realized thanks to joint efforts of the Council of Ministers, the Ministries of Culture, Tourism, Economy, Foreign Affairs, the Bulgarian Embassy in Paris, and the French Embassy in Sofia.

Part of the delegation led by Prime Minister Borissov was Deputy Prime Minister Rumiana Bachvarova, who is in charge of horizontal policies, including coordination of culture-related policies and activities. "This is the first ever Bulgarian exhibition at the Louvre Museum. Our efforts are directed towards promoting Bulgaria through its ancient and unique historic and cultural heritage. Let us, like the outside world, rediscover the Bulgarian identity, " Deputy Prime Minister Bachvarova said, as press release quoted.

As part of the cultural program that accompanies the opening of the exhibition, a number of other Bulgarian events will be held in the French capital until the end of June to present the country, its culture and traditions, as well as tourism and investment opportunities.

The Prime Minister added that he would discuss to have items from the Louvre collection on exhibit in Bulgaria. (ANSA).