site.btaOctober 2, 1990: Bulgarian President Addresses UN General Assembly's First Session after Cold War

Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev visited the United States from September 25 to October 3, 1990. The main focus of the visit was the participation of Bulgaria's first democratically elected president in the General Debate of the 45th session of the UN General Assembly, according to the BTA's International Information bulletin.

That was the first session after the end of the Cold War and the first visit by a Bulgarian head of State to the US, BTA correspondent in New York Krasimir Drumev wrote at the time. On September 28, Zhelev also met with US President George Bush at the White House, again for the first time. Among the highlights of the visit were foreign policy signals such as the announced idea to send a limited contingent of Bulgarian troops to the Persian Gulf, an invitation to send military specialists to Bulgaria to dismantle eight SS-23 short-range tactical missiles received from the USSR in 1986, as well as a meeting with former US President Ronald Reagan at his office in Los Angeles.

Following is President Zhelev's address before the UN General Assembly as reported by BTA: 

The President of the Republic, Dr. Zhelyu Zhelev, delivered a speech on October 2 before the UN General Assembly, which represents the political culmination of his visit here. The Bulgarian President spoke at the morning session of the 45th session of the General Assembly, in whose general political discussions presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers from many countries are participating.

This session is the first since the end of the Cold War and is marked by an atmosphere of constructiveness and a desire for joint action to resolve the current and long-standing problems of the international community. The participation of the first freely elected Bulgarian president was seen as evidence of the profound and democratic changes that had swept through Bulgaria and the whole of Eastern Europe.

At the beginning of his speech, Dr Zhelyu Zhelev emphasised that his participation in the World Forum as the freely elected president of a new, democratic Bulgaria marked the long-awaited return of a small and long-suffering people to the community of free nations and sovereign democracies. The Bulgarian president also highlighted the new state of international relations, in which rivalry and confrontation are giving way to dialogue and cooperation, mutual understanding and reasonable compromise. However, what 1990 will be remembered for most, said the Bulgarian president, are the democratic revolutions in Eastern Europe. He pointed out that, although slower than others, Bulgaria is also undergoing profound democratic reforms that are finally and irrevocably separating it from communism.

The President of the Republic gave a detailed account of the events that led to the overthrow of totalitarian rule and informed the audience about the first steps of the young Bulgarian democracy. He summed up that the guarantee for the implementation of the ambitious programme are: first, the awakening people who want to live in a democracy and work in a market economy that unleashes their energy and personal initiative, and secondly, the will and energy of the democratic opposition in parliament, which through its initiatives constantly stimulates the democratic process and does not allow it to be interrupted.

From the UN podium, Dr. Zhelev stated: "Bulgaria is no longer a communist, totalitarian state, but it is not yet fully democratic, insofar as it has not adopted a new constitution and has not succeeded in building its economy on market principles. Bulgaria is in a state of transition from totalitarianism to democracy, in that particular transitional state that some define as post-totalitarian. However, the processes are irreversible and it is only a matter of time before it becomes a fully democratic state with a democratic constitution, democratic institutions and a market economy."

A significant part of the speech was devoted to the changes that have taken place in the principles, goals and priorities of Bulgarian foreign policy. The President of the Republic pointed out that "we have categorically rejected the doctrine of limited sovereignty, known as the Brezhnev Doctrine, because this doctrine undermines our national independence and, if you will, the Bulgarian people's sense of national dignity and pride. We also rejected the principle of so-called socialist internationalism, which is nothing more than a poorly disguised form of subordination of Bulgarian foreign policy to the interests of another country," said the Bulgarian president.

"We have renounced the principle of partisanship," continued Dr. Zhelev, according to which the country's foreign policy was entirely at the service of the interests and ideology of a single party that had a monopoly on power.

"In place of the rejected principles," the President emphasised, "we have adopted others that serve the interests of the entire democratic country. Bulgaria has restored the principle of complete national independence and unrestricted sovereignty, which allows us to choose the direction of our foreign policy ourselves. The principle of partisanship has been replaced by the interests of the state and the nation as a whole. No party has the right to place its private interests above those of the nation," Dr. Zhelyu Zhelev underscored. 

The Bulgarian President expressed his support for the UN Security Council resolutions on Iraq's aggression against Kuwait. He said that Bulgaria was perhaps the country in Europe most severely affected by the crisis in the Persian Gulf, but that it would nevertheless continue to strictly observe the embargo. Through its actions, Bulgaria is proving in practice that it is returning to the international community as a civilised member.

Dr. Zhelev sees in the unity of the UN in condemning the aggression against a small and defenceless country the prototype of future global guarantees for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all small states and the return of the UN to its fundamental purpose and original role.

"But, Mr. Chairman, while all this is still in the future, while it has not yet become a firmly established reality, my country is also forced to seek guarantees for national independence, territorial integrity and inviolability," Dr. Zhelev said.

"This issue is becoming particularly important now that the old system of military blocs and imperial relations is collapsing, while the new one has not yet been fully established. Bulgaria currently receives guarantees for its territorial integrity from the Warsaw Pact, as well as from a bilateral treaty with the Soviet Union. But things are changing," said the Bulgarian President.

He emphasised that, given that all political realities are undergoing rapid change, the only thing that remains as a real and secure foundation is loyalty to the principles of Bulgarian foreign policy. These principles give rise to new priorities in foreign policy. Dr. Zhelev outlined the following priorities: striving for good and, if possible, friendly relations with Bulgaria's neighbours. He emphasised that Bulgaria is ready to contribute to improving the situation in the Balkans and is determined to put an end to the crisis in Bulgarian-Turkish relations.

The President identified another priority of Bulgarian foreign policy as opening up our country to the outside world by removing all economic and political barriers. Dr. Zhelev added that our priority is Bulgaria's integration into a future united Europe and the comprehensive development of relations with the United States and other developed countries. 

The President of the Republic also underscored the adaptation of Bulgarian legislation and the new constitution to the requirements of the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, etc. as a priority of Bulgarian foreign policy.

In conclusion, Dr. Zhelev expressed his hope that Bulgaria, which has irreversibly embarked on the path of modern democracy and a market economy, will take its rightful place in the community of nations united by the values of freedom, democracy and peace.

Dr. Zhelyu Zhelev's speech was met with applause. It was distributed as a UN document.