Whereas on September 22, 1908, Bulgaria proclaimed its independence to become a full-fledged sovereign state under the name of the Kingdom of Bulgaria; Whereas this Act marked the end of a long and dedicated struggle the Bulgarian people waged against their ages-long foreign occupier, the Ottoman Empire, which conquered the medieval Bulgarian state in the 14th Century; Whereas although liberated in 1878, Bulgaria remained divided and dependent on its former ruler; Whereas with the proclamation of independence over 100 years ago, Bulgaria took its rightful place among the family of nations and secured for its citizens in its Constitution of 1991 the right to life, freedom, and property; Whereas the Republic of Bulgaria is a democratic nation, a strong defender of freedom and human rights, and a staunch ally of the United States; Whereas the United States established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Bulgaria on September 19, 1903; Whereas the United States acknowledges the courage of the Bulgarian people in deciding to pursue a free, democratic, and independent Bulgaria and their steadfast perseverance in building a society based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, and a free market economy; Whereas the people of the Republic of Bulgaria strive to preserve and continue their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance; Whereas the Bulgarian Parliament, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, King Boris III, politicians, intellectuals, and citizens all played a part in the resistance to Nazi pressure to carry out the deportation of Jews living in Bulgaria; Whereas in the spring of 1943 the Bulgarian people successfully prevented the deportation of 50,000 Jews to concentration camps; Whereas Bulgaria experienced its first free election after the end of the Cold War in June 1990