Diplomacy is Built on Culture, Presentation of Culture Achieves Diplomatic Effects

In Slovenia the lefts are good at carrying right reforms, and the ruling right coalition – at conducting social dialogue

H. E. Dr. Vladimir Atanasov,Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Slovenia

H. E. Dr. Vladimir Atanasov was born on September 21, 1955.
Master of Bulgarian Philology (1980) and Associate Professor in Teaching Methods (2003), St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University.
Teacher of Bulgarian Language and Literature (1980-86). Lecturer at St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University in Teaching Methods (1986-2001).
Minister of Education and Science (2001-03). From October 2004 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Slovenia.
Fluent in English, German, Russian, and Slovenian.
Married, two children.

Ambassador Vladimir Atanasov’s mandate in Slovenia started months after the country’s accession to the European Union. He is an eyewitness of the steps of the country in the no less important process of full integration in the Union. Slovenia was the first one from the big enlargement of 2004 to become a member of the Eurozone.

Your Excellency, doubtlessly the choice for Slovenia to hold the EU Presidency is both strategic and an evaluation of its achievements. Would you share your impressions – how is such successfulness achieved, with what qualities and actions? Compared to Bulgaria, Slovenia is a small country. Is society there more consolidated in building its life, and what of Slovenia’s experience can we apply in what we still need to do?
My impressions from my work here as Ambassador of Bulgaria indeed cover the period just after Slovenia’s accession to EU, its joining the European Monetary Union (EMU) on January 1, 2007 and the beginning of her greatest challenge – the Presidency of the EU Council. All this suggests that Slovenia, a small country in area and population, is no small in its goals and the pragmatic consistency with which it achieves them. Of course, being a new member state, Slovenia is in a trio with Germany and Portugal, just as the Czech Republic in 2009 will hold the EU Presidency jointly with France and Sweden . Slovenia, where I have the privilege to represent our country, is the first of the new member states from the last enlargement, but it is also the first Slav country that illustrates the division and fulfilment of responsibilities in EU, as well as the equal attitude towards the so-call “small”, “new” etc. countries.

It strikes me also that Slovenia has national goals and interests, which abiding by the laws of EU remain its priority. One such goal is the delineation of the Slovenian-Croatian border and above all the dispute over the Pirana bay. If we hypothetically assume the two countries have equal rights, Slovenia as a EU member state is in a “stronger” position, which allows it more dynamic space for negotiations compared to Croatia, “the most favourite neighbour”, as it was referred to some time back.

It is no surprise to anyone here that the joining of the Eurozone and the EU Presidency could not go without foreign political and economic perturbations. What matters, however, is that here starts the Slovenian public dialogue through motivated political and economic demands and compromises, and not by sieges and blockades or loud shouting, as we remember from the years of transition in our country. An example: the inflation in Slovenia reached 6.1% in December and 5.6 for 2007 (at about 3% for EMU), but this caused a peaceful demonstration and negotiations between the government and the syndicates about compensation/increase of the incomes in the public sector. Of course, I shall not comment the fact that the “taming” of inflation by compensating incomes seems impossible.

In Slovenia evidently the left parties are good at carrying out right reforms, and the ruling right coalition at the moment – at conducting social dialogue and not to reject uncompromisingly the idea of building social defences for the workers and employees in the public sector. Nevertheless, on November 17, 2007 in Slovenia there was a demonstration against the high prices, which brought together about 50,000 people, and there is still a threat of national strike for higher incomes and against the high inflation, where probably teachers, medical workers, policemen etc. will rally.

One more thing I find important, Slovenia and the Slovenians do not think first what they will get, but what should do to get more and to fulfil their commitments to the European funds in the greatest degree. According to the degree of absorption of EU funds for 2006 Slovenia is among the top countries in EU together with Estonia.

In other words, the existence of practically functioning institutions and clear cut affiliation mean transparency, cooperation, pursuit of common goals, and ultimately – satisfied interests.

At what level are the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Slovenia?
I can point out with satisfaction that in bilateral aspect our relations are developing very well, and in the words of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Dimitrij Rupel “excellently” and in the interest of both countries. Recently the Bulgarian Embassy marked the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Slovenia by a grand concert in the Slovenian Philharmonic and a bilingual edition of Bulgarian poets – marine painters, translated into Slovenian. The edition was prepared by the largest and most prestigious publishing house here, Mladinska Kniga, known in our country too. The book was launched at a celebration in the halls of the Bulgarian Embassy in Ljubljana and became the first sign of a deeper cultural and intellectual cooperation between the two countries.

It is of great importance that the political dialogue between the two countries is also at a very high level, not without the efforts of the Bulgarian diplomats serving here. The network of personal contacts with the most active political and business circles helped overcome certain “apathy” and “bureaucratic inertia” in the bilateral relations, which is particularly important for identification of the common priorities and the capabilities of the two European countries, especially in the beginning of the Slovenian EU Council Presidency.

The period of the Slovenian EU Presidency will be used for visits at high state level. at present, the Embassy is getting ready for the visits to Slovenia of Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev, and of the President of the National Assembly Georgi Pirinski.

After Bulgaria’s EU accession, has the interest of Slovenian companies to do business in our country grown?
Slovenian producers are already known in Bulgaria – the household appliances of Gorenje, a leading European company in the field of design and quality; the pharmaceuticals of Krka, which in the past year lays an emphasis on generic medicines. Successful activity in the financial sphere have the Slovenian KD group and West-East Bank, owned by New Ljubljana Bank. The largest importers of products and goods from Bulgaria are OMV Slovenija, Petrol d.o.o., SAVA Trade, etc. Bulgarian wines are also well received on the market of a traditional wine producer as Slovenia, but unfortunately the good Bulgarian wineries are not actively represented because the choice is “filtered” by some Macedonian exporters. Anyway, the sale price of the Bulgarian wines in Slovenia varies between 2–3.5 Euro. Apart from wines, several Slovenian companies are showing interest in the Bulgarian food, wine and tobacco industries, and in Bulgaria the cosmetic products of the Slovenian Extravaganza, based on hemp seed, attracted attention. Their production and properties were recently shown in a reportage in the Panorama program of BNT.

After Bulgaria’s accession to EU the economic relations became more dynamic. I must mention that a very positive role was played by the visit of the Slovenian Prime Minister in May 2006, days before the intermediate monitoring report for Bulgaria, when he came with a 70-strong business delegation, which was a strong incentive for mutual interest of the two countries. In late 2007 the commodity exchange between Bulgaria and Slovenia doubled and is expected to reach 300 million Euro.

Do you think there is unused potential for more intensive trade and economic partnership?
The Slovenians have an inertia interest in investment above all towards the Western Balkan countries – Kosovo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, while several hundred companies operate in Serbia, in other words, within former Yugoslavia.  This is quite natural, because old contacts are renewed and in a sense there is no language barrier. Adding the inevitable “Yugonostalgia”, which is governed by pragmatism and, figuratively speaking, we get the explanation for a historically and politically determined preference.

But I think the philosophy of the so-called “Yugonostalgia” with the Slovenians is completely pragmatic – they simply go to what is close and familiar and buy shares, export productions, invest in strategic buys, which increases immensely the areas of influence, which the little Slav country gains in the region.

Bulgaria is only starting to pursue active policy in the field of partner interest, but can confidently say that most of the attention here at the moment is focused on investment in starting productions, real estate and, of course, tourism and the tourist infrastructure.

Would you tell us about the initiatives of the Embassy aimed at bringing closer the Bulgarian and the Slovenian people? What expression do contacts in the field of culture and tourism find?
The current situation within the EU requires active and attractive public diplomacy. The presentation of Bulgaria should be based on open, public events, presenting our country and its millennial culture in the best way, and which would yield tangible economic effect.

This “open diplomacy” requires contacts, active horizontal and vertical communication, countless acquaintances, in order to retain the interest in our country. In many exhibitions, concerts and discussions, gastronomic events as well as many meetings, the message is of crucial importance, what they tell people. I can point out with satisfaction that the initiatives of the Bulgarian Embassy in Ljubljana are followed with great interest and sometimes they are talked about long after. A good example is the concert on the occasion of may 24th for four pianos, the repertory – from Bach to Beetles, at the Slovenian Philharmonic.

As diplomacy is built on culture, so the presentation of culture achieves diplomatic effects. This is valid not only in countries with which Bulgaria has traditional relations, but especially in countries where the mutual acquaintance for some reason has been latent for along time, such as Bulgaria and Slovenia.

Such are the aims of the Communication Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sofia, in which the Embassy in Ljubljana has already won 7 projects.

Although the close objective –Bulgaria’s membership in EU – has been achieved, we will continue to look for opportunities for bringing closer our countries’ positions and interests. I cannot but mention the visit of Prof. Margarita Mladenova and Prof. Ivan Dobchev, who came to Slovenia this January and created wonderful creative contacts, significant of which is the invitation they received to come again and perform and have the opportunity ot give master classes at the Drama Academy here.

A major issue during the Slovenian EU Presidency, directly involving Bulgaria is the Black Sea cooperation. Being a member of EU and NATO and current chair of SEECP, Bulgaria regards very responsibly the preservation of stability in the region. In this context, what is Slovenia’s attitude towards Bulgaria as a partner country in the fulfillment of the EU policies?
There are different regional formats where the cooperation between the two Slav countries could be even more active. Such is the Central European Initiative, which Slovenia chaired in 2004, and Bulgaria in 2007, when the idea of repositioning of the aims and priorities of this forum was launched. Our country now represents SEECP and at different levels Slovenian participation is prepared in scheduled meetings, for which the Bulgarian side has already sent an invitation to the Foreign Minister Dr. Dimitrij Rupel. Bulgaria and Slovenia communicate also in the Danube Cooperation Process, and at the informal meetings of the Mediterranean EU countries, and at the last but one in July 2007 the hosting of Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania were included for the first time in the work of this representation.

Our two countries are building contacts in the context of mutual support of candidatures for international organizations, and mostly with proposals and implementation of the common European policies, for which there is direct evidences.

Here, in the presence of the interior ministers of Bulgaria and Slovenia, Rumen Petkov and Dragutin Mate, and the Vice President of EC and European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, Franco Frattini, a joint declaration was signed between Bulgaria and Romania on the accession to the Shenghen area. In late January Minister Emilia Maslarova and Mrs. Marjeta Cotman, Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs of Slovenia, also signed an Agreement for cooperation in the field of social affairs.

Bulgaria and Slovenia are building a network of sustainable partnership in the social sphere, security policies, regional cooperation.

All opportunities for participation in the common European project, especially under the Presidency of Slovenia, should be used maximally. So far we have built an open and consistent attitude towards Bulgaria and our country should take advantage of it.