A senior Chinese official awarded a nameplate to Sofia University on Friday, which symbolizes establishment of the first Confucian Institute in the East European region.

At the Center for Oriental Languages of Sofia University, Vice Dean of the university Alexander Fedotov was given the bronze nameplate of Sofia Confucian Institute by Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC).

Li, who is paying a good-will visit to Bulgaria, also awarded 1, 000 copies of various kinds of books to Fedotov as part of library collection for the institute.

The program of Confucian Institute in foreign countries initiated by the Chinese government is designed to promote the Chinese language overseas. By March of last year, 54 such kind of institutes had been set up in 30 countries and regions.

The Sofia Confucian Institute will be the first of its kind in the East European region, said Li Cong, a Chinese visiting scholar who hosted the ceremony.

She also said the institute will provide good teaching conditions for Chinese learners in Bulgaria.

During the ceremony, an agreement about how to run the institute was signed by Fedotov and Cen Jianjun, a Chinese education official.

Li expressed his hope that the Chinese-loving students make their efforts to become ridgepole for the construction of Bulgaria, promoter of bilateral friendship and world peace and development .

Nearly 50 students of Sofia University attended the ceremony and showed their Chinese skills.

A student named Neli declaimed with an ancient Chinese poem for some 100 participants. She won the first place of a Chinese competition in Bulgaria and will go to China for the final race of the competition entitled "Chinese Bridge" later this year.

Li's presence at the ceremony added lustre to the season of rose in Bulgaria, a student whose Chinese name is Dai Fei said in Chinese.

She also said Confucius was a highly influential educationer, thinker, philosopher and contributed not only to Chinese civilization but also world civilization.

Bulgaria is Li's second leg of his four-nation tour, which has taken him to Uzbekistan. He will also visit Switzerland and Norway.

Source: Xinhua