H.E. Mr. Mihail Rosianu Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to Bulgaria

Ambassador Mihail Rosianu was born on January 24, 1943, in Romania.

He graduated from the faculty of Philology at the Bucharest University and the Institute of International Relations in Moscow. He has completed a postgraduate course in French Language and Civilisation in the Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris.

Ambassador Rosianu started his diplomatic career in 1967. Author of works and articles on arms control, disarmament and international public law. He has taken part in international academic meetings on political, security and legal issues.

Fluent in English, French, Russian and Spanish.

His wife, Liana Rosianu is an architect.

Your Excellency, officially we are marking the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Bulgaria – Romania diplomatic relations. The relations between our two nations, however, have been in existence for many centuries. During the struggle for national independence, for many Bulgarians Romania became a second motherland. What are the most valuable aspects from the history of our relations, which we should carry into the new 21st century?
Georgi S. Rakovski, a fighter for Bulgaria’s independence, said that in the past Romania offered “free and inviolable shelter” for the Bulgarian people and that the homes of the Romanians were “opened with greatest and hearty welcome”. I can enumerate many praises for the Romanian people and they are all truthful. I will only quote Zahari Stoyanov, Bulgaria’s eminent revolutionary and statesman, who wrote in a letter to one of his Romanian friends: “Every single Bulgarian, more or less educated and a patriot, who stepped on the free Romanian land enjoyed the brotherly hospitality of the Romanian people…All honest and noble, all who could not live and breathe in enslaved Bulgaria, have worked in the sacred Romanian land.” As an Ambassador of Romania it gives me a special pleasure to note that the Bulgarian people know and respect their history.

The most valuable thing in our relations, with which, in my opinion, we should enter the 21st century is namely this feeling of friendship, this spirit of sincerity, co-operation and mutual assistance, which has always been characteristic of our nations’ relations.

Do the Bulgarians and the Romanians know each other well? Are the current interstate relations in the field of economy, tourism, and culture well developed?
I think that historically Bulgarians and Romanians know each other quite well, however this does not mean that they know much about each other. I believe that with minimal efforts, placing an earnest emphasis on the historical past, it is possible to get to know each other more and more. As it was written in the press of the Bulgarian revolutionary emigration, the past of the Romanian and the Bulgarian people “represents a magnificent picture of brotherhood and reciprocity, almost unique in the life of the nations”, and no matter how much we try, we will not find “a feature, proving rivalry, hatred or malevolence” in their history.

My personal assessment is that in an economic, cultural and tourist perspective our bilateral relations are good, taking into account the period of transition we are passing through. I can confirm that in comparison with the initial years of our transition to democracy, our relations have marked a progress, but this does not mean they fully correspond to the potential of our countries. Nonetheless, I am convinced that these relations have been following an ascending line and our role lies in working for their consolidation. In my capacity of Ambassador of Romania I have set it as my goal all lines of our bilateral relations to be developed in harmony with the exclusively high level of the political relations, which exist between our two countries

Sometimes in the international community, even at the highest level, comparisons are drawn between Bulgaria and Romania as regards our road to the Atlantic and European structures. The ordinary people would usually interpret this as a kind of rivalry, which lends a kind of a negative nuance to our aspirations for faster integration. Perhaps the constructive and fruitful approach is the one the West Europeans are imposing: that despite the differences our counties should go this road together. What internal or external factors could interfere with our progress?
I do not think such factors exist. We are already full-right NATO members, our accession to the European Union is forthcoming. Maybe there are single voices, internal or external, which for well-known reasons, of which I can only guess some, are trying to create a negative image of our two countries.

It is good to walk together on the road to integration with democratic Europe. This is the will of Europe itself. Which does not mean, however, that if one of our countries is not ready with its “homework” the other should not progress.

We are convinced that the two countries will sign together their Treaties of Accession in 2005 and will become de facto EU members in 2007.

What else can unite us – in the trade and economic partnership, in the cultural sphere?
Besides the second bridge over the Danube river, in the future there will be other “bridges” between our nations, real bridges over the Danube, which will be constructed for sure, economic bridges, where the euro-regions will play a significant role, cultural, scientific and many other bridges as well.

I think another important “bridge” is the young generation who, having more opportunities to travel and gain knowledge, in the course of time will contribute very much for the further rapprochement of our two countries.

Juliana Tomova