H.E. Mr Svend Boje Madsen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdomof Denmark

H.E. Mr Svend Boje Madsen was born on October 9, 1947. Attache, Royal Danish Embassy, Moscow
(1970-71); MA in Russian and Chinese Studies, Universities of Copenhagen and London (1976); entered Danish Foreign Service in 1978; First Secretary, Royal Danish Embassy, Beijing (1983-86); Head of Section (Asia), Department of Political Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen (1986-88); Counsellor (Political Affairs), Royal Danish Embassy, Moscow (1988-93); Head of Section (Russia, Baltic States and CIS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen (1993-94); Head of US Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen (1995-96); Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister (Political Affairs), Royal Danish Embassy, Washington (1996-01); since 2003, Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Married with two children.

On April 17, the 75th anniversary will be marked since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Denmark. How would you assess the present state of these relations?
The relationship between Denmark and Bulgaria has been developing rapidly over the last fifteen years and is now not just firmly established but comprehensive. The best proof of this is the recent very successful Bulgarian state visit to Denmark, which – by the way – was the first of its kind. The President and his wife were accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Economy and Energy, the Minister of Culture, the mayors of Sofia, Karlovo and Kazanluk as well as by a delegation of more than 30 companies. A marvellous exhibition of the latest Bulgarian archaeological finds, including the golden mask, was opened at the Danish National Museum. What better way to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations?

Especially in recent years there have been several other high level contacts as part of the ongoing political dialogue between our countries. These substantial bilateral exchanges demonstrate that Denmark and Bulgaria have many goals and visions in common. By pursuing these exchanges, we increase the opportunities to meet our shared interests.

Bulgaria relies on Denmark in its EU accession processes. What is your opinion on this country’s efforts in the preparation for a full-fledged EU membership?
Denmark presided over the EU in the autumn of 2002. At the historic European Summit in Copenhagen on a very cold December day the accession negotiations with the 10 candidate countries – the so-called fifth-enlargement round – were successfully concluded. Significantly, at the same meeting the objective of welcoming Bulgaria and Romania as members of the EU in 2007 was agreed for the first time. We are very glad – and a bit proud – that this roadmap is still valid. However, the stipulated time frame could never have been upheld had it not been for the persistent efforts of Bulgaria.

Denmark has been a strong supporter of enlargement of both NATO and the EU from the very beginning. We have continuously supported Bulgaria’s accession to both and been lending a helping hand by giving practical assistance to Bulgaria’s preparations for EU-membership. Nevertheless, we strongly believe in the principle of own merits, meaning that a candidate country’s readiness for membership – in terms of fulfilling the mutually agreed obligations – must be assessed on an individual basis. Consequently, at the end of the day it is up to Bulgaria to ensure fulfilment of these obligations.

An impressive amount of legislative work has been done by your parliament. In preparing for membership, the government and various ministries have adopted strategies and action plans. One can only acknowledge these good intentions. However, laws, strategies and action plans must be followed-up by implementation and enforcement. Concrete results are the best way to demonstrate Bulgaria’s political determination to be fully ready for membership.

In 2004, Denmark ranked 17th on the table of investors here. Do you expect the economic relations between the two countries to be stepped up after Bulgaria joins the EU as a full-fledged member state? Which are the major spheres of cooperation and are there still undeveloped fields?
As to the economic ties between our countries I am convinced that there is much room for improvement. Even though bilateral trade has increased by 58 percent in 1999–2005, to reach approximately 106 million euro on a yearly basis, we can do better. There are clear signs that Danish companies are showing increasing interest in trading with and investing in Bulgaria. Bulgaria’s membership of NATO, as well as your coming membership in the European Union, has a positive influence on this. Among the spheres where I see a potential for strengthening our cooperation are agriculture and the food processing industry, energy and the environment as well as the retail sector in general.

As a consequence of globalisation, geographical distance becomes less significant. Enhanced international competition being another of globalisation’s consequences, compliance with the principles of the rule of law is an important prerequisite for consolidating and maintaining such interest from Danish companies. A well functioning and independent judiciary, which can ensure that commercial disputes are solved in a transparent, objective and reliable manner, is essential.

In 2001, the 70th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries was marked with a series of cultural events in Denmark. Are such initiatives slated to take place this year?
In 2005 we celebrated the bicentenary of the Danish fairy tales writer Hans Christian Andersen. The events in Bulgaria, which were presided over by Mrs. Parvanova, included a gala performance, two international scientific conferences, a new direct translation of the fairy tales as well as two ballets and plays. The interest shown by Bulgarian institutions and citizens was truly overwhelming – not to mention the level of knowledge and appreciation of our beloved poet.

For this and next year, we have various plans on the drawing board, including exhibitions and concerts. I know the same is the case with the Bulgarian embassy in Copenhagen.

Cultural diversity is among the greatest spiritual riches of United Europe. Do you expect more initiatives in the bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Denmark in the domains of science, culture end education?
As far as educational exchanges are concerned, I hope that Sofia University will soon be in a position to offer Danish as a main language to students at the Scandinavian Faculty.

We also see an increasing number of visits by Danish high schools and business colleges to Bulgarian counterparts. Such exchanges among young people contribute a lot to the development of human contacts and understanding between our countries.