Acad. Nikola Sabotinov and Acad. Ivan Popchev were honored on the eve of 24 May with the highest state awards.

President Rumen Radev awarded Acad. Nikola Sabotinov with the Order of “St. Cyril and Methodius” – necklace for his particularly significant merits in the field of science. Acad. Sabotinov has outstanding scientific achievements in the fields of quantum electronics, laser physics, laser technology, plasma physics and optics. He is the author of nearly 400 scientific articles and 30 protected copyright certificates and patents at home and abroad. He is a member of the Governing Board of the European Nuclear Fusion Enterprise, the Advisory Board of the European Academies of Sciences. In the period 2008 – 2012, Acad. Nikola Sabotinov was President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

For his particularly significant services to the development of mathematical science and informatics, the Head of State awarded Acad. Ivan Popchev the Order of “St. Cyril and Methodius” – necklace. He is an electrical engineer who was elected Academician of BAS in 2003. He has led and participated in the implementation of over 200 international and national projects, as a result of which information technologies and software products with high economic and social impact have been implemented in practice.

On behalf of the awardees Acad. Nikola Sabotinov expressed his deep appreciation for the respect for the work and high achievements of the Bulgarian scientists. “These awards give even more confidence to the scientific community in Bulgaria that the state thinks and cares about them,” said Acad. Sabotinov.