Interview with His Excellency Mr. Yaroslav Golev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to Slovakia

His Excellency Mr. Yaroslav Golev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to Slovakia with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia Mr. Edward Kukan

Your Excellency, what are the priorities in the work of the Bulgarian Embassy in Bratislava?
The task of the Bulgarian Embassy in Slovakia is for the bilateral relations in all their aspects – political, economic, cultural and scientific, to develop thus that we could set the best opportunities for contacts between the people. So that, when there is a public poll in both countries, asking "Which countries do you consider closest?", the name of Bulgaria and Slovakia respectively would be part of the answer.

The priority in our work is to affirm the understanding of our "closeness", something, which was slightly forgotten during the years of transition. What I mean is the closeness of two European nations, two new democracies sharing common values. The prevailing stereotype in Bulgaria still has to do with Czechoslovakia and the Slovak – with a Balkan country, standing out mainly for its donkey carts.

The more frequent contacts at the level of heads of state, parliamentarians, prime ministers and ministers, the double-fold increase in trade in the last two years, the increasingly growing number of Slovak tourists in Bulgaria, the exchange between universities and municipalities, all this indicates there is hope that we can overcome stereotypes and establish the idea of our primeval yet contemporary closeness.

Comparing the development of Bulgaria and Slovakia after the fall of the Berlin Wall, do you see any similarity and differences for that matter?
In the development of all post-communist countries there are naturally many things in common. After all, in 1989 they had some 44-45 years of joint "experience", each with its own specificities. One of them immediately comes to the fore: the collapse of the Berlin Wall in Slovakia resulted not only in the end of the then-existing political system but also in a "friendly divorce" in three years’ time and the emergence of two separate countries – the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In that sense, the development of Slovakia was doubly hindered – building a new type of society and economy, the Slovaks had to lay the foundations of the new state. They did that earnestly and honestly and the young people today do not hesitate to answer the question what would be the Slovak contribution to the new Europe.

When we talk of common European values, do the things we have in common, such as Slavonic origins, traditionally good cultural and historic contacts, etc. matter?
If we go back to older theories, there are indeed too much circles of which both Bulgaria and Slovakia are a part of. Firstly, these are our Slavonic roots. There are surprisingly many common words – there is even a theory supported by serious historians that Middle Slovakia is inhabited by South Slavonic tribes, some of which assumingly from the so called Bulgarian group. It is very likely that the main work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius had been concentrated in the town of Nitra – one of the two capitals of Great Moravia. The brother’s disciples, who were later welcomed to Bulgaria, come from this area. Knights from Upper Hungary (as the country was known at that time) spilled their blood at the walls of Nikopol in 1396 and in the battle at Varna in 1444. The Slovak Joseph Shafarick is one of those who "discovered" Bulgarian nation for the European science.

After the Liberation, a compact group of Slovaks settled in North Bulgaria at the invitation of Tzar Ferdinand. At the same time, thousands of Bulgarian gardeners began working in Slovakia and some of them permanently settled there. Today, the saying "as hard-working as a Bulgarian" is still popular. Recently, the Bulgarian school of Christo Botev in Bratislava celebrated its 55 anniversary and since 1971 there is a Bulgarian Cultural Institute. In other words, there are many bridges between our two countries. Every student, whether of Bulgarian or Slovak origin, who graduates from a Bulgarian school, is in away an ambassador of Bulgaria.

Do we have common social issues in terms of integration of communities, birth rate, employment?
The radical transformation in one and the same direction of similar economies brings about similar problems, one of which is the relatively high unemployment. Reforms however started to give result – in recent years it has dropped down due to the growing economic development and the inflow of foreign investments and also to the changes in the unemployment aid system. Unemployment has dropped down from 19,2% in 1999 to 15,1% in 2003. Another thing in common are the regional differences. While unemployment in the region of Bratislava is around the economically "healthy" 4%, in the eastern regions it is way over 30%.

Slovakia is one of the European countries with the highest relative share of Roma population. It is among the groups most affected by the economic and social changes. In the process of joining the EU, Slovakia undertook a number of steps to improve the situation of Romas, a series of programs were enacted, considerable funds were poured into different projects. It is clear however that the problems cannot be solved with a magic wand or over night. The main challenge is still the social integration of part of the Roma population, which is an issue constantly discussed here. It concerns the people living separately in the so called settlements.

Would you share your impressions of Slovakia? What is it about the country that attracts foreign tourists and investors?
Slovakia is a small but diverse country. The Danube and some other big rivers flow through it – Morava, Vach and Chron. The southern part is rather flat, whereas in the north the beautiful mountains – the High and the Low Tatras, Big and Small Fatra, the Rogach, are situated, becoming a symbol of Slovakia through the centuries. Naturally, what is important for the tourists are the hosts – the Slovaks are hospitable Slavonic people. Due to its qualities Slovakia enjoys the interest of tourists throughout the year, the number of tourists from the near by countries coming for active sport activities probably being the highest.

As far as investments are concerned, the southwest part of the country is more developed. It gets the main portion of investments. It has to do with a classic advantage, the proximity of four neighbouring countries – Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland, and a developed infrastructure. The two giants – Wolkswagen and Peugeot-Citroen, currently under construction are situated in this part of the country. The new KIA investment as also in the more advanced western part.

There are however other factors I would like to mention when talking about investments in Slovakia. It is a country, which draws foreign investors with its educated and capable labour above all. The last two governments, run by the Prime Minister Mikulash Dzurinda, created a favourable climate for investors. A number of bureaucratic barriers were eliminated and the business-initiation procedures were made simpler. Particularly well received was the "flat" 19% tax, introduced on January 1 this year. Something, which I would very much like to emphasize, is the excellent interaction between the executive power and the local authorities in attracting and securing investments. It is an interesting fact that in Slovakia the state participates with around 15% in the strategic investments, ensuring and buying the land at its own expense and setting all of the necessary infrastructure.

With a government decision, the state will for the future commit financially only to investments in the regions with high unemployment. The EU membership gives additional possibilities for the use of the cohesion and the structural funds to help diminish the differences between the regions.

Juliana Tomova