Embassy of the United States

Your Excellency, what is your biggest success as an Ambassador to the United States in the past one year of your stay in Bulgaria?

It has been an incredible pleasure and a genuine honor for me to be here in this wonderful country, but you are right – a year is a very short period of time. I am sad to leave but delighted to have the opportunity to continue working with Bulgaria on my next assignment. I hope that my time here over this year has served to deepen the strategic partnership between our two countries, and hopefully at some point in the future people will be able to look back and say that this was a time that was positive and productive, and that we launched a process that deepened the strategic partnership between us in important ways.

Today is the U.S. National Holiday. Are you going to cut back on holiday celebrations because of the financial crisis? 

I am really delighted to have this opportunity to talk with you and with all your listeners about America’s birthday. As you know, this is a very special day for us and people all over the country, and little towns and big cities get together and they celebrate with parties, but they also celebrate by thinking about what it means to be an American and what America stands for. I remember as a child we used to recite some of the words of our Declaration of Independence, words like, “All men are created equal” and “inalienable rights” and the fact that “governments govern with the consent of the people.”  Those are things that fill our minds and fill our hearts as we celebrate the Fourth of July.  Those are the principles that also form the basis of our partnership between the United States and Bulgaria. Of course we celebrate now at a time of economic constraint and crisis, and we will ensure that our celebrations are done in a way that is appropriate to the time.
 

What about the U.S. Administration? What are the most substantial budget cuts which the Administration is making now?

President Obama has gone forward with a two track process. First, he has focused on what we call stimulus spending to inject money into our economy, to create jobs and spur economic growth, but he has also proposed a budget that includes 17 billion dollars worth of cuts which is a rather dramatic reduction of our budget now.

Do you expect hard time for Bulgaria because of the financial crisis?

Crystal balls are hard things to look into, and making predictions about what will happen in the future is always an endeavor that is fraught with difficulty. But what I can say with certainty is that both the United States and Bulgaria will emerge from the economic crisis, and the question that is before us is whether we will emerge stronger and smarter, if we learn the lessons that the crisis has to teach us, but also work to find new efficiencies, new innovations so that when we do emerge from the crisis we are best positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.

What is the actual state of the U.S. investment in Bulgaria?

American companies have always found Bulgaria a very attractive place to invest, and during 2008 our two-way trade was almost a billion dollars. U.S. investment in terms of direct foreign investment in this country is almost 6 billion dollars. We are the largest single foreign investor in this country, and overall with all of our investments taken together we are in the top ten. We are quite pleased to be here, and are looking wherever we can to expand opportunities. But of course the economic crisis has made that more difficult, and all of us have to look at ways that we can be more efficient and take advantage of what is a contracted range of opportunities.

What is your opinion of the progress that Bulgaria is making in the fight against organized crime and corruption on the eve of the next EC report to that effect?

Corruption is a very key challenge that is facing this country, and I believe that the next government that will take office following the elections on July 5 has both an opportunity and a very significant, very important responsibility to take on this issue. And what I have advocated for is for the next government to establish for itself, and make public, explicit goals - what does it want to achieve in the fight against corruption, and when does it expect to achieve those goals, and make those specific pieces of information public so that people can debate them and so that the people in this country can hold the government accountable for meeting those goals.

How about during this one year – what is your opinion about the progress that has been made?

Everyone wants a one word answer to that question, and it is a hard one to give one word. There has been some progress, particularly in terms of legislation that has been passed. But unless and until legislation is implemented, it’s nothing more than ink on paper. The key to this issue, like all others but especially here, is concrete actions. What people in this country are looking for, and what friends of this country are looking for, is concrete action that makes a difference and puts this country on a forward trajectory in fighting corruption and fighting organized crime.

What is you opinion about the recent administrative leadership appointments in the Bulgarian judicial system?

What I believe Bulgaria, like every country, should strive for a judiciary that is the most respected institution in the country. The judiciary should be looked to for integrity and competence, and for an efficient and consistent application of the law. That is the goal that people should strive for, and that is the standard that people should use to measure every new policy, every new appointment.

Do you think that the elections in Bulgaria are free and democratic according to the American standards?

I said recently that elections are the bedrock of democracy. And people have asked me - what do I mean. What I mean by that is that the election is the platform that allows the will of the people to direct the institutions of state to serve the greater good. And that happens by having great transparency and great integrity in the process of the elections, and then in the process of governing.

That’s what we have to return to. I know there have been reports of vote buying and other forms of vote fraud in the European elections, and we were very very sorry to see that. It is really a deplorable practice. The vote is the most important asset that any citizen has, and it is so important that in some language actually the word for vote is voice. And if you sell vote, you silence your voice.

Are there any cases like the Galevi Brothers in America (people with indictments for criminal offense to run for office)? 

There certainly are criminals and corrupt individuals inside the United States, but there is no instance in the United States of the kind of immunity that the Galevi Brothers have been granted. For members of the U.S. Congress – our Parliamentarians – there is very limited immunity after they are elected into office, and that immunity controls only their legitimate parliamentary activity. But they are not immune from criminal prosecution and sentencing as we’ve seen most recently in the case with Senator Ted Stevens from Alaska.

Is there a political party or coalition with which the U.S. would not work in Bulgaria?

We have been very consistent in saying that we don’t play favorites we don’t back one party or one individual candidate. What we support, and we’ve been very clear about this, is supporting the integrity of the democratic process, the transparency of all aspects of ensuring that the government responds to the will of the people and is focused on achieving the public good. At the same time we have also been very clear about saying that we see no place within Bulgaria’s democracy for those who would advocate hatred, or discrimination, or xenophobia. What we believe is the right approach is for people to proceed on the basis of tolerance and acceptance, and to apply rights and responsibilities to people throughout society regardless of their race, or ethnic group, or religion.

Do you speak about Ataka or…?

I’m talking about anyone who would use language or behavior that is designed to foster conflict and hatred between groups. And that’s something that I think is very clear and it’s also something that really needs to be avoided.  Because it doesn’t serve the best interests of the society, and ultimately it tears down the individuals who are advocating for that kind of negativity, that kind of really inhumane thought and behavior.

What is your prediction for the composition of Bulgaria’s next government?

I have learned never to make predictions about partisan issues, and all of us will know very soon what the outcome of the election will be, and then all of us will watch to see what kind of government is formed based on those electoral results. But of course, the United States looks forward to building a strong partnership with the next government as we continue the strategic partnership between our two countries.
 

Is there any progress on the issue of dropping the U.S. visas for Bulgarian citizens?

We continue to support Bulgaria’s entry into the VWP, and we continue to work with our Bulgarian partners to help them meet the criteria that were set forward by the U.S. Congress to get into that program. But unfortunately the government of Bulgaria has not yet taken the steps it needs to, including issuing to all of its citizens what we call a biometric or an e-passport.

I am 36 now. Do you think that it will be possible for me to go to the U.S. without a visa in ten years?

I think it’s possible after ten months if the criteria are met. So perhaps if everything is done right by the time you are 37 you’ll be able to travel to the United States without a visa. But let’s wait and watch and hope.

What is the U.S. position on the situation in Iran? Do you expect to receive any type of support for the U.S. policy towards Iran on the part of Bulgaria?

President Obama has spoken out very clearly, calling upon the Iranian government to end violence and to end its unjust behaviors for the people of Iran. I know that democratic governments all over the world including Bulgaria very much support that approach.  President Obama also quoted some very beautiful words by Martin Luther King. He said that the arch of the moral universe is long but it inevitably, invariably bends toward justice. And we believe that it is what will happen in Iran, and that is what we’ve called upon the government to do, and I think it is what the government of Bulgaria is also looking for and hoping to see.

What is your strongest personal memory about Michael Jackson who passed away this week?

Of course, I have personal memories. I think everyone who is alive now has a memory somehow, has been touched in some way by Michael Jackson. I have two very vivid memories. The first is when the Jackson Five first sprang onto the scene, and I remember watching him as a young boy along with his brothers and being so impressed that these young and dynamic and incredibly charming young boys could unite the world with their music. And it didn’t matter whether you were black or white or rich or poor old or young – people loved their music, and it had tremendously positive and integrating impact on the world. I was also gratified to see that Michael Jackson then went on as an adult to do something that I thought was very meaningful – he wrote the song “We are the World”, and the words to that song when it first came out were something that were very touching to me, and I know for many other people, along with all of his wonderful pop songs including “Thriller” which is one of my favorites.

What will be your main responsibilities as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs?

It’s a very long title. I say it’s quite of a mouthful. I have a very long list of responsibilities because I will be responsible for 50 countries, including Bulgaria, as well as NATO, the EU, and OSCE. I think perhaps the easiest way to summarize it is, and perhaps the most appropriately so on July 4, is to say that what I will be working to achieve is a Europe that is free and in peace, and united in partnership with the United States.
 

Who will be the next U.S. Ambassador here?

I do not know the name, but I can tell you that he will be a very fortunate person because this is a wonderful place to serve as an American Ambassador. I have been very very lucky to serve here myself, and I know that my successor will be equally fortunate and will be even more successful in his or her job, and even more enamored with this place and the wonderful people.

When will it be clear?

It will be clear when the White House has found someone and has announced their name.

How long does it usually take?

It’s hard to say.