What are your personal efforts for invigoration of the bilateral relations aimed at? What is Bulgaria different with and interesting for the Mongolians?
The years between 1990 and 2000 were a period of standstill in the relations for objective reasons. These were difficult years of transition. The aftermath of this standstill was quite unfavorable. The relations in all spheres were neglected. Nevertheless, despite the economic difficulties the embassies in the two countries were not closed down. In some countries Mongolia had to close its missions.

The chief loss we suffered from the negligence of our relations was that we almost forgot about each other. The youths, the organizations, the business leaders had too little information. So my personal efforts are mainly aimed at mending this situation. Great attention has to be given to our re-acquaintance in the new conditions.

The trade and economic ties, although much weaker than in the time of socialism, are gradually becoming more intensive every year. This depends on the market demands of the two countries.

At present six Bulgarian-Mongolian companies work jointly for the making of Bulgarian investments in Mongolia.

What we think should be done is intensify the political and cultural relations and promote popular diplomacy. It is important that people of the two countries make contacts and visit each other. We give special attention to the cooperation of the national media and in this respect we have good results. Particularly important was the visit of the directors and correspondents of the Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio and their reports from Mongolia. We need to organize joint initiatives in future too.

Bulgaria is a leading country in the Balkans. It became a NATO member. Soon it will join the European Union. Our two countries are going through similar processes during the transitional period. All this additionally provokes the Mongolians’ interest and their desire for contacts with Bulgaria.

Bulgaria is an important bridge, by which Mongolia is making an increasingly greater presence on the Balkan Peninsula and in Europe. And in future Mongolia will be the bridge by which Bulgaria will penetrate on the immense market south of Russia and north of China.

What is the place of countries like ours in the era of global humanity? Can national cultures and traditions exist and evolve or are they destined to universal unification, and what is the role of our bilateral contacts for their preservation?
Both the Mongolians and the Bulgarians are peoples who have never mounted the high horse towards anyone and always created values.
Here I cannot go into the big Bulgarian culture with its ancient traditions. I will only say that the Bulgarian folk songs, instruments, ornaments, farming have a Central Asian and completely Mongolian tinge. And the Bulgarians who visit Mongolia also feel a Bulgarian tinge.

As regards the Mongolians, they are a nation creating culture since ancient times. There is no reason to believe the nomads have no cultural heritage. If we look into antiquity, we will see that of the 750 deer’s stones found in Euro-Asia, 650 are in the territory of Mongolia. As well as 3500 of the over 4000 Hun tombs. In the time of Chingiz Khan and his successors many settlements were built in the Mongolian land. But the ancient cities were destroyed by wars.

In the time of Chingiz Khan the Mongolians created their own script (and later made and used five more). They composed the remarkable world-known written monuments - the eposes “Secret History of the Mongols”, “Geser”, “Djangar”, etc. Our ancestors held books in respect. Printed editions with golden and silver letters have come down to us. Monuments in honor of the book were erected.

Wonderful artworks, created by Mongolians, are deservedly included in the treasury of world art. The first head of the Mongolian Buddhism Undur Gegen (the Sublime Saint) Dzanabadzar (1639-1723) created an astonishing miniature sculpture: on an egg-shaped precious stone, the size of a thumb, he engraved 16 Buddhist images.

The famous artist B. Sharav (1869-1939) painted with a hair on a piece of paper of the size of a sweet package 800 elephants, whose eyes, nails and feet are distinct and they look lifelike.

The great Mongolian philologist S. Shagdj (20th c) managed to fit the text of a book that would normally occupy 12 pages into a page of approximately 6 x 5 cm (30 sq. cm) written with a hair.

The Bulgarian people also has ancient heritage. Such cultures cannot be doomed to unification.

Culture is an expression of the attitude towards the surrounding world and therefore in the process of globalization powerful forces will come into play against national culture. The process of culture formation follows the rules of economy. I think, the task facing Mongolia, Bulgaria and the other countries is to take advantage of the globalization economically and to preserve their national cultures and traditions. Our joint activities in the cultural sphere may become a protective buffer. A nation that does not protect its culture cannot preserve its national identity.

Actually, our two peoples have traditional historical experience in preserving and defending their nationality and culture. Both the Mongolians and the Bulgarians have a Central Asian origin and are nomad descendants. For over 200 years the Mongolians were oppressed by the domination of the Manjurian Empire, and the Bulgarians were dominated by the Ottoman Empire for about 500 years. These colonial dominations, in the same period and in the same geographical belt, have much in common. Both nations survived them, preserving their cultural and national identity. This is mainly due to their national dignity. The preservation of one’s national self-awareness is the result of the knowledge, treasuring and protection of the native history and culture. So, these questions are not new to our peoples. There may be questions only concerning the new conditions and methods.

Would you tell us something about yourself, about your personal preferences outside your profession? What do you like in our country?
I can point out many things that I like. What is most important is that all Bulgarians and Bulgarian institutions, with which we in the Embassy communicate, treat us in an extremely friendly, amicable and hearty manner. This gives enthusiasm and incentive to our team and to me as Ambassador, as our primary task is to develop the relations between the two countries.

Regarding my favorite pastimes, I am studying the works of the ancient Greek philosophers. I spend my free time reading specialized literature in New Greek.

Juliana Tomova