Which areas hold out potential for development of mutual contacts between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan? On what should we concentrate in our bilateral relations?
Bulgaria has to go a long way, not in time but in essence, in order to get successfully integrated in the European Union. We wish its prosperity. It is important for us, because it is more than an European partner, it is a “European gate” to the Balkan region.

The main field for cooperation between our countries is the trade-economic sphere. The current trade exchange is unjustifiably little. In 2004 it amounted to about 125-130 million dollars (98% of which from oil contracts).

In Kazakhstan there is a large building market, largely because the capital is moved from Alma Ata to Astana. We invite the Bulgarian building companies to the Kazakhstan market.
The basic reason for the insufficient quantity of contracts is the absence of an economically profitable transport corridor between Kazakhstan and Bulgaria. our countries are separated by several countries and two seas, the Caspian and the Black Sea. The distance is great. The renewal of the transport corridor along the traces of the ancient road of the silk (which passed through Europe, the Caucasus, Trans-Volga and the Volga region, Central Asia and down to the Indian Ocean), would be of great importance. It would allow not only to expand multiply the volume of bilateral trade but also to connect the European and Asian markets in an optimal way by avoiding the big transport, customs and other expenses.

Until the 15th C, when the Great Silk Road was actively used, the places it passed through were prospering. It is indeed a historically proven transport corridor.
Today the foreign trade of Kazakhstan is again with Russia and China. 2003–2004 were a year of Kazakhstan in Russia and a year of Russia in Kazakhstan. These were huge actions involving large trade, economic and cultural initiatives. Our relations are so intensive that as a result out trade rose to over 7 billion dollars. Why not launch similar initiatives with Bulgaria? Not necessarily “years”, maybe days of culture, economic exhibitions, business forums for businessmen from the two countries. These are all very practicable initiatives. I believe they will give impetus to our relations.

Historically there are many things in common between our peoples. Can we say that today this helps our interrelations and what is the role of people’s diplomacy?
The Kazakhs have never forgotten that the Bulgarians are our brothers. 1500 years ago we were kinsmen and lived on the same territory. Before they moved to the Balkan Peninsula the nomad Bulgarian tribes of the Kuturguts and Uturguts lived next to the Kipchaks, the direct forbears of the modern Kazakhs. In the Bulgarian, Byzantine and West European chronicles the Kipchaks were known under the name of Kumans.

The history of Bulgaria contains evidence that in the 11th C, at the invitation of Tsar Kaloyan the Kipchaks came to Bulgaria as personal guards in the struggle with the Byzantines. Almost until the Ottoman invasion, being already Bulgarian noblemen and cavalry commanders, they played an important role in the military history of Bulgaria. In the 12th C, in the battle at Adrianople the Kipchaks defeated the crusaders’ cavalry, took Emperor Balduin captive and handed him over to the Bulgarian tsar. The Kipchaks cavalry was also the first to go into battle during the attacks of the Seljuk Turks.
The common pages in our history are a good basis for fruitful cultural cooperation. We have many linguistic things in common, too. Not only at lexical but also at structural level. I realized this when I started learning Bulgarian. There is a clear similarity in the grammatical structures.

Today about 10 thousand ethnic Bulgarians live in Kazakhstan, who are an integral part of the Kazakhstan society. 29% of them are proficient in the Kazakh language.

In Kazakhstan, where peacefully coexist 105 different ethnicities, functions a unique socio-political institution with the President – Assembly of the Peoples of Kazakhstan. All ethnical groups are represented in it. This year is the 10th anniversary of the Assembly, whose main goal is to secure interethnic concord. The Assembly is a basic factor for maintaining the stability in our multinational country. Throughout the past years we did not allow any inter-national conflicts. We believe we are going the road of eastern wisdom – cautiously, without wavering this way or that way.

What are your personal proposals for promotion of the bilateral contacts?
I would like to attract more Kazakh tourists to Bulgaria. Bulgarian resorts have been known since antiquity for their convenience, the benevolent attitude of the people. Nowadays they are competed by the Turkish resorts. About 500 Kazakhs tourists in Bulgaria per year – this is too little. The modern Kazakhs citizens are curious and capable of paying. It is the right time to attract them to Bulgaria. Through tourism our historical and cultural closeness could become a bridge that will link again the two peoples, alienated by the will of history and the force of distance.

Ralitza Zgalevska