H.E. Mr. Paul Beijer Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Sweden

H.E. Mr. Paul Lennart Beijer graduated in Economics and Business Administration from the Stockholm Economic University. Second Secretary in the Embassy of Sweden in Luanda, Angola (1984–1987); in the Swedish Delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,  Paris (1987–1988); referent for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Multilateral Trade Directorate (1988–1989).
First Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Multilateral Trade Directorate (1989–1992) and in the National Inspectorate for Military Equipment (weapons export control) (1992–1994). Deputy Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State (1994–1996). Senior Political Adviser in the National Strategic Products Inspectorate (1996–1998). Head of Strategic Export Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (1998–2001). Minister Plenipotentiary and Charge d’Affaires in the Embassy in Pyongyang (2001); Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (2002); Ambassador and Special Adviser to the Government on Korean Peninsula Issues (2006).
Married, with three children.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Bulgaria since October 2008.

• We must reach agreement for Copenhagen
• We are very appreciative of Bulgaria’s positive approach to EU enlargement
• Swedish-Bulgarian ties have a solid base and will expand further

Your Excellency, Sweden has limited time to achieve the goals set in its EU presidency priorities. The new European Parliament has started working in the meanwhile; new commissioners are to be appointed. Would you point out the tasks undertaken by the Presidency on which most efforts are concentrated?
As Presidency, we have to work with the whole range of issues around which Member States collaborate. To give you an idea of the scale of the task, we are chairing about 3,300 meetings at different levels during our six-month period. From meetings at prime ministerial level with other nations such as the US, Russia, and China in the context of EU foreign policy cooperation, to working group meetings between national experts to prepare different proposals for political decision-making.

Our aim is, of course, to do a good job in all areas, which means working together with all the other Member States to reach agreement and take decisions on specific topics, from the annual EU budget to health and safety standards, to EU reactions to current international issues. In most areas consensus is the rule, rather than majority decision-making. That is, ALL Member States have to agree. As Presidency, our job is to work to achieve consensus in those cases where different Member States disagree on what the final result should look like. With 27 Member States, there is ample room for different perspectives and ideas!

But, of course, there are some areas which we consider especially important and which require special care and effort. One such issue is the economic crisis – how to ensure that the EU emerges from the downturn stronger than before, and better able to deal with future economic problems. This involves a whole host of questions, from strengthening supervision over the international financial system to discussing among Member States what the most appropriate policies are for tackling different aspects of the crisis. We are particularly concerned that increased public spending is leading to very large budget deficits in many Member States. Such deficits will be difficult to manage in the long run, and will hamper governments’ ability to deal with common long-term challenges such as reinforcing the EU’s global competitiveness, and moving towards a more eco-efficient economy. Another concern is that Europe’s population is ageing, and Member States need to tackle the unemployment generated by the economic crisis in such a way that we don’t marginalize groups that could be working. Active labour market policies that put people back into a job as quickly as possible are very necessary, with fewer and fewer people of working age supporting growing numbers of the elderly.

Another very important and very challenging task is to reach agreement among Member States on different issues related to the international climate negotiations that will take place in Copenhagen in December this year. The goal of these negotiations is to reach international agreement on measures to combat climate change. Many difficult measures need to be taken, and all countries must contribute. We consider Copenhagen to be of the highest importance because it is becoming increasingly obvious that climate change is already happening. Just to limit the increase of the Earth’s temperature to 2 degrees by 2050 is going to require a very considerable effort. Even if the World’s richest countries were to reduce their emissions of climate-affecting gases to zero today, we would not reach that goal. All countries need to contribute. And we know that the longer we wait the more drastic the adjustment will need to be. But there are many problems that must be resolved. How much do poor countries have to do, compared to rich ones? Who will pay? Where will the technology come from? The EU, taken as a whole, is the largest in the world in terms of GDP, the third largest in terms of population, and the seventh largest in terms of geographical size. For the negotiations to be successful, we believe that it is important that the EU can play an active, constructive role. But within the EU, we face the same kinds of disparities and differences that we will encounter in Copenhagen. Therefore, we first need to negotiate these issues among ourselves and reach agreements that will allow us to contribute constructively in the broader context. We are optimistic that this will be possible. We are not starting from scratch. The EU already has agreed upon an ambitious climate program. But in Copenhagen, we may need to go farther. Much work still remains and time is short.

Are there issues in the Swedish Presidency agenda which Bulgaria could take an important stand on?
Essentially, Bulgaria’s stand is important in all issues that require consensus! Without the consent of every Member State, progress is not possible. I have to say that Bulgaria is much appreciated as a very constructive partner in EU collaboration, and works hard to contribute to positive outcomes. There are, of course, areas where Bulgaria’s contribution can be particularly valuable, for instance in relations with the EU’s Eastern neighbours, in energy security issues, in the questions related to the further enlargement of the EU, where your neighbours (Turkey and countries in the West Balkans) are a prime focus, and in EU-NATO cooperation, just to mention some. 

Would you share your opinion: can you feel to what extent Bulgaria has been affected by the economic crisis and how could we benefit from the common EU measures for overcoming the crisis in our country?
Bulgaria, like the rest of EU, has certainly been seriously affected by the economic downturn. Your financial sector is better off than in many other countries, perhaps because you experienced a financial crisis in the mid-nineties and took the necessary measures to ensure stability then. But in the “real” economy, you too have been affected by decreasing economic activity, increasing unemployment and lower government revenues. There are indications that some EU countries have bottomed out and are beginning to show positive numbers again. But Bulgaria is late in the curve and will not be first out of the crisis. There are important ways in which the EU can contribute. Your Prime Minister has emphasized the importance of EU funds in creating employment and improving infrastructure, which will benefit the economy in the long term too. Because of the single market, Member States cannot take protectionist measures against each other that would simply shift unemployment from one country to the other, rather than solving it. This is good. There has also been coordination of policies between EU Member States as well as with other major economic players that has contributed to limiting the extent of the crisis – when many nations act together, the sum is greater than the parts. We all benefit from that.

Will there be anything new in the enlargement debate? You know that Bulgaria supports the European integration of the Western Balkans.
Sweden is positive to further enlargement. We see enlargement as an important tool for enhancing stability and prosperity in our own “neighbourhood,” lessening the potential for future conflicts. We are therefore very appreciative of Bulgaria’s positive approach to enlargement. We don’t expect any dramatic steps, such as a new accession, during our term as presidency. But we will try to ensure that momentum is maintained in the different ongoing processes. Recently, there was positive news regarding Croatia’s continued progress, which was very welcome. In terms of the enlargement debate, some Member State governments advocate a more cautious approach. Ultimately, the efforts of each candidate state will determine when they can become members. Our main concern is to maintain the established benchmarks for accession, and the procedures that have been well-defined over time. It is important to avoid “moving the goalposts” as this could have a very negative effect on candidate states’ aspirations and efforts.

What is the state of the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Sweden? Can we say we are satisfied with the level of our ties, and in what areas do we have to invest more efforts in order to deepen cooperation?
Our relations are long-established and in excellent shape. Diplomatic ties were established already in 1909. Today, our two countries, located at opposite extremes of Europe, have both become members of the European Union, thereby firmly linking our futures together. Relations have been expanding ever since the transition, and Bulgaria’s EU accession has opened many new possibilities.

Politically, we work very well together on EU issues, often sharing the same standpoint. We particularly appreciate Bulgaria’s support in our cooperation with NATO. Sweden is not a member of NATO, but works very closely with that organisation in peacekeeping operations.

Economically, I found when I arrived here a year ago that almost all of the large Swedish companies have a presence in Bulgaria. There are a number of Swedish investments in Bulgaria already, but we are not at all among the largest foreign investors. I believe there is considerable scope for increased Swedish activity. The economic crisis has of course had a negative impact on the expansion of economic ties, but this must be considered temporary. One key to unlocking further foreign investments (not just Swedish) lies in an improved legal system that would give investors a more stable operating environment with fewer “surprises.” This is an issue being worked upon very seriously by the Bulgarian Government, however, I hope we will see enhanced levels of activity in the years to come. A few years ago, the Swedish Trade Council opened an office in Sofia and your Embassy in Stockholm reactivated a post as trade counsellor. There is also a very active Bulgarian-Swedish Chamber of Commerce here in Sofia.

In the cultural sphere, there is a steady flow of exchanges which I would of course like to see grow further. I was pleased to find a very active department of Scandinavian studies at Sofia University. In teaching the Swedish language and spreading knowledge about Swedish literature and culture, and through the academic exchanges that take place, such an institution is invaluable as a promoter of closer ties between our two peoples. Similarly, there is an interest in the Bulgarian language in Sweden and just recently a Swedish professor received a special award from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences for his work in linguistics and Bulgarian literature.

In short: there is a solid base for the further expansion of Swedish-Bulgarian ties, and I see no obstacles to such a development but rather a natural progression. 

Could we expect an increase of Swedish investments in our country and which sectors have biggest potential in this respect?
There are many sectors which have potential. Mining, forestry and mechanical engineering have traditionally been strong areas for Sweden and are also important sectors here in Bulgaria. But there is also a host of “new” industries where I see considerable potential. Within environmental technology there are Swedish niches that should be of great interest here. For instance, we have been early developers of technology for burning waste for the generation of electric power, which solves two problems at the same time. In the media sector we have seen a number of investments over the past few years, in TV and print media and broadband distribution. One should not neglect the importance of ordinary trade, either. For example the Swedish furniture company IKEA outsources a huge volume of production all over the world. Bulgarian companies have been and are involved in such orders, which contributes to your country’s employment and export earnings.

What are your efforts as Ambassador of Sweden to Bulgaria aimed at?
At the moment, I am very much focused on Sweden’s EU Presidency, as I’m sure you’ll understand. But an embassy has many different roles. First and foremost we act as a channel for bilateral relations in the political, economic, and cultural fields. We support the Swedish companies that are active in Bulgaria or which would like to establish a presence, and the small colony of Swedish citizens who live in Bulgaria. We also have a responsibility for supporting the roughly 100,000 Swedish citizens that visit Bulgaria as tourists every year (if needed), and issue visas for third-country citizens who wish to visit Sweden (Bulgarian citizens, being EU citizens, need no visas). Finally, we disseminate information about Sweden, which I suppose you could say is part of the cultural field. My responsibility is to function as a sort of executive director for the Embassy as a whole, which means I need to take an interest in all of these areas. But my time is mainly devoted to political relations, and to supporting Swedish business. Short-term I am looking forward to getting to know the new Government and its ministers. A surprising number of them are directly or indirectly involved in activities or issues that relate to Sweden. EU cooperation gives me and my associates many opportunities for dialogue with counterparts in the Bulgarian administration, and I have to say that the atmosphere of trust and cooperation is excellent.

What have you learned about Bulgaria and its people so far? What are your impressions from Bulgaria's nature and cultural-historical heritage?
Where to start? A year in your country has provided me with so many impressions. In terms of natural scenery Bulgaria is unique in my experience, in having so varied a palette of natural scenery within a fairly limited geographical space. High mountains, beautiful valleys and rivers, fertile plains, and a long coastline on the Black Sea. Alpine skiing to beach life and everything in-between – and all accessible within a day’s journey. Yours is also a country with an ancient and interesting history, which is well displayed in museums and historical sites. You are clearly a country that cares about its heritage. I and my wife have enjoyed exploring Bulgaria during our first year here, and we can look forward to continuing for several years more before exhausting even a fraction of the possibilities, it seems. Our knowledge of Bulgarian is still quite limited, but we have found people to be very friendly and hospitable, and not at all put off by the language barrier. This makes exploring your country particularly enjoyable.