site.btaMay 15, 2003: US Secretary of State Colin Powell Visits Sofia on Occasion of 100 Years of Diplomatic Relations between Bulgaria, US

Colin Powell visited Bulgaria on May 15, 2003 as US Secretary of State in President George W. Bush’s administration, marking 100 years of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the United States. The visit also aimed to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

During the visit to Sofia, Powell met Bulgaria’s president and government, discussed US support for Bulgaria’s NATO membership, and reaffirmed Washington’s political backing for Bulgaria’s Euro-Atlantic orientation. Shortly after the visit, Bulgaria officially became a NATO member in 2004.

Following are news items by which BTA's External Service covered the visit: 

Bulgaria Plays an Important Role in Transatlantic Processes, Powell Says

Sofia, May 15 (BTA) - Bulgaria is playing a major role in modern Transatlantic processes, US Secretary of State Colin Powell told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Powell arrived here Thursday on a several-hour visit which is part of his Middle East and European tour.

Powell's first meeting was with Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha which was followed by a brief joint news conference attended by some 90 journalists.

Secretary of State Powell said he values his regular dialogue with Bulgaria's Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the US and that it was a source of great support for him during the UN Security Council debates on the resolutions on Iraq, Powell added. Bulgaria realized what had to be done and the US will never forget this, Powell said.

The US Secretary of State said he was happy to be in Bulgaria not only for the 100th anniversary of Bulgarian-American relations but also to stress Bulgaria's contribution to the Transatlantic process. 

Powell recalled that last week the US Senate ratified Bulgaria's NATO accession protocol. The US Secretary of State promised support to Bulgaria in its fight against corruption, the reform in its judiciary and in encouraging economic growth. Bulgaria has always stood by the US in the fight against terrorism and in the disarmament of Saddam Hussein, Powell said. He added that Bulgaria also supported the efforts of the UN Security Council in Afghanistan and send a Bulgarian contingent to Afghanistan. Powell recalled US President Bush's words that America does not forget its friends.

Asked what he discussed with the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Powell said they talked about the future of Iraq and Bulgaria's plans for full integration in Europe. 

There is still no decision about the deployment of US bases in Bulgaria; this could happen following an expert analysis of the needs of the Alliance and reaching an agreement with Bulgaria, Powell said.

The US side is seeking ways to cope with terrorism and regional conflicts and this is a reason for the redistribution of their military bases in Europe, the guest stated.

Notions like "old" and "new" Europe do not matter for the US government any longer; for them, there is only one Europe that should unite efforts against international terrorism.

Bulgaria has its role in the fight against terrorism and, like the other countries, submits intelligence information, ensures cooperation between the police forces and border control. There is no country that could stand aside of the global war against terrorism and every civilized country should be a part of this war, the US Secretary of State said.

Bulgaria plays an important role in the fight against terrorism; it has greater capacities in this area and the US side is ready to help financially and by other means so that this country acts as a proper member of this global war, Powell stressed. 

Colin Powell: "Bulgaria, US Are Partners in Expanding Freedom around World"

Sofia, May 15 (BTA) - "As a result of the democratic path that you have chosen, relations between Bulgaria and the United States are the best they have ever been in all of the past 100 years," US Secretary of State Colin Powell said in Sofia Thursday.

He attended a public celebration in Sofia's Alexander Battenberg Square, opening observances of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the United States. The event was also attended by National Assembly Chairman Ognyan Gerdjikov, President Georgi Purvanov, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, as well as former presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Peter Stoyanov.

"Our two countries have much more to celebrate today than reaching a 100th anniversary, for Bulgaria and the United States have become allies and democracies, and partners in expanding freedom around the world," Powell said in his address.

Recalling that Bulgaria and the US established diplomatic relations at the time of Prince Ferdinand, who was later to become Czar of Bulgaria, Powell said that "today, almost 100 years later, I am greeted by the grandson of the czar - not as a czar but a freely elected prime minister of a free and democratic Bulgaria." "Today [. . .] the American people warmly embrace Bulgaria's dynamic new democracy," he said.

"Our nations passed another major milestone just last week, when the United States Senate voted unanimously to welcome Bulgaria into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. And the vote was ninety-six to zero - unanimous, no one voted against! [. . .]

"I want in particular to thank the people of Bulgaria for welcoming American soldiers to Sarafovo. Thank you for making them feel at home and helping them accomplish their mission," Powell said. Noting that Bulgaria and the US have been contributing together to missions in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq, he said: "Together we will bring stability to Iraq, we will help the Iraqi people as they tackle the hard work of reconstruction and establish their own democracy."

Addressing the crowd in the square, Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg-Gotha said that over the last 100 years Bulgaria and the US have experienced many ups and downs in their history. "However, most of the time we have maintained closeness thanks to a shared ideal - the ideal of democracy, the 'last best hope of Earth,'" Saxe-Coburg-Gotha said, quoting Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States.

"We are celebrating the centennial after the US Senate said a unanimous 'yes' to Bulgaria's Atlantic future. To us this was a particularly significant act," the Prime Minister said. "Long before that, Bulgaria and the US proved they can be allies in the fight against terrorism." Saxe-Coburg-Gotha expressed hope that the two countries will further expand their fine relations.

Powell handed to Foreign Minister Passy a US national flag which had been flown over the Capitol in Washington on May 8, when the Senate ratified the NATO Accession Protocols for Bulgaria and the six other invitees. For his part, Passy handed to Powell a Bulgarian national flag which had been raised over the National Assembly in Sofia on the same occasion.

The celebration opened with a performance by a US Air Force Europe band and a Bulgarian National Guard Unit band. An hour before the event, hundreds of Sofianites had already gathered in the square. Many people in the audience waved Bulgarian and US national flags. A pair of large national flags, Bulgarian and US, were hoisted at one end of the square.

Tight security measures were in place during the event. Snipers were positioned on nearby rooftops.

Powell Emphasizes Importance of New UN Resolution on Iraq's Reconstruction at Meeting with Purvanov

Sofia, May 15 (BTA) - Bulgaria will continue being a serious and consistent partner of the US and NATO and a source of stability in Southeastern Europe, President Georgi Purvanov said meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, according to the President's Press Secretariat.

This is the Bulgarian President's second meeting with the US State Secretary. The first one took place during Purvanov's visit to the US last September.

Purvanov called Powell's visit an event in the Bulgarian political season. He underscored the political consensus in Bulgaria on the need for active and comprehensive relations with the US.

Purvanov thanked the State Secretary for his personal support for Bulgaria's bid for NATO, as well as for the quick problem-free ratification of its NATO accession protocol by the US Senate.

Tighter control on the export of arms and potential dual-use goods and the protection of classified information were among the issues mentioned by Powell that should be solved by the Bulgarian institutions in the future.

Powell agreed that after the crisis in Iraq, which caused differences and tension, the allies should look forward, restore confidence and strengthen the Trans-Atlantic link. He specially stressed the importance of a new UN Security Council resolution on Iraq's reconstruction, which he called "a resolution of hope" for the Iraqi people.