The Ministry of Defense was recognized as the winner of the 2015 Golden Key Award in the category for an institution which has most efficiently organized the provision of public information. The Ministry has progressively improved its active transparency based on the results from AIP annual audit on institutional web sites, has a complete “Access to Information” web section, responds timely and completely to requests and provides access to information, including by e-mail.

"When I see an access to information request in the inbox, I say - the first thing to be done!. The Ministry of defense policy and my personal conviction is that the institutions are obliged to give an account to the society. They work for the citizens. I will use this opportunity to call upon citizens and NGOs to reuqest information from the institutions, and the institutions to fulfill their obligations under the APIA. I wish more public bodies would deserve this award," the deputy Minister of Defense, Mr. Orhan Ismailov, said at the receipt of the award. 

Interview with the deputy Minister of Defense, Mr. Orhan Ismailov, is published in AIP newsletter issue 9(141) for September 2015: The Ministry of Defense Will Continue to Develop Its Transparency and Accountability Practices (in Bulgarian.

The Regional Inspectorate on Environment and Waters – Blagoevgrad was recognized with an honorary diploma for the high level of their active transparency, timely responses to the requests an evidence being the results from AIP 2015 Active Transparency Rating.

"I would like to thank to the Access to Information Programme for the nomination and for the recognition. The positive results are due to the team of professionals who work in the Regional Inspectorate," the director of the institution Angel Georgiev said.