ATAKA's leader Volen Siderov was at a formal audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The meeting was held today, 27 January, at 12 o'clock in Vatican City. The nationalist leader was accompanied by the MEPs from ATAKA Slavi Binev and Dimitar Stoyanov. Volen Siderov handed to Pope Benedict XVI an icon of St John of Rila - the most famous Bulgarian saint and a patron of the Bulgarian people. The nationalist forwarded to His Holiness greetings on behalf of the Bulgarian government and the Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

The MEP from ATAKA Slavi Binev once again was the only one from our delegation to the EP who was personally invited by the President of the European parliament Jerzy Buzek at an official lunch for the political elite of the Parliament. This time the luncheon was in honour of the start of the Spanish presidency of the EU.
These kind of high level meetings are organised by the President on special occasions and include only the presidents of the political groups and the highest leadership of the European Parliament. From the beginning of the

Yesterday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg was held the traditional meeting of the Bulgarian delegation in the European Parliament, this time chaired by MEP Slavi Binev. The main topics of the discussion were the preparation of the celebration of the national holiday of Bulgaria 3 March in the EP building in Brussels, the forthcoming visit of the President Jerzy Busek in Bulgaria and the organization of celebrations of the feast of Europe - 9 May in Bulgaria. Mrs Violeta Stanichich Director of the Information Centre of the EP in Bulgaria also attended the meeting. The participants discussed the