As part of the Europa Forum Wachau, which took place on 15 and 16 June 2018, Ambassador Dr. Elena Kirtcheva, General Secretary of Vienna Economic Forum, awarded the Golden Burial Mask from Shipka to H.E. Dr. Lilyana Pavlova, Minister for the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU 2018. Schipka’s gold mask was discovered by Bulgarian archaeologists in 2004 in the 2,400-year-old tomb of a Thracian king near Schipka, 200 km east of Sofia and, according to ancient Greek authors, was worn during royal ceremonies.
As part of Vienna Economic Forum – Sofia Talks 2018, which took place on 18 May 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria, VEF Member Dr. Vladimir Penkov gave the mask as a gift to the six Prime Minister of the countries of the Western Balkans and to the Members of the Board of Vienna Economic Forum that participated at that conference.
H.E. Dr. Lilyana Pavlova received the mask as a thank-you for the effective cooperation between her ministry and Vienna Economic Forum in the preparation and implementation of Vienna Economic Forum – Sofia Talks 2018 and the great success of this conference, but also as a sign of future cooperation with the Minister and the Bulgarian government.