BULGARIAN AMBASSADOR
NADEZHDA NEYNSKY
This month our guest is Bulgarian Ambassador Nadezhda Neynsky, who is regarded as a role model and is a great example of a successful woman. Neynsky, who has forged a long career in politics and diplomacy, said: “We are a new member of the EU, so Bulgaria can share with Turkey its experience and knowledge on the EU accession process. In the meantime, we could help the EU to understand Turkey better.”
You have a very long history in Bulgarian politics. Has it been difficult?
Yes it has. In politics the most difficult thing is fulfilling the high expectations. We won the elections with an absolute majority back in 1997 after a big economic crisis, and the Bulgarian people had a lot of hope in our government, so we had a lot of expectations to fulfill. This was not easy, because we set ourselves really high goals: bringing Bulgaria into NATO, abolishing visas to the EU, making a move towards EU membership, etc. Another challenge at that time was the situation in the Western Balkans. The Kosovo War was occurring during our mandate, and difficult decisions had to be made. Those were unpopular decisions, but they were in the interest of our national security and national goals, and were necessary for the future of Bulgaria.
I have two daughters who were eight and four back in 1991. It was not easy. When kids are this young they can’t really understand why their mother has to be gone all the time. They were sad that I had to travel so much; I would leave the house early in the morning and come back late at night when they were already in bed. We had our difficult moments.
Did you ever wonder what it would have been like to have made his journey as a man? Would it have been easier?
I didn’t, but now that you mention it, I would have to say I don’t think I would have achieved as much if I were a man. Why? First of all, because being a woman I feel like I have to double my efforts and my ambition to prove that a woman can be just as successful, or even more so, than a man. It is all about motivation, and I have always been driven. For me, the opportunity to the serve the national interests of the New Bulgaria was a great source of motivation and inspiration.
I want to add that it is not always about gender, but rather competence, ambition and courage. It is not enough to have had the best education in the best schools. If you don’t have courage, not much can happen.
Do you like to take risks?
I like to take responsibility, and part of this is to take risks. It depends on how you define risk. There are risk and risks. I got to where I am today by taking reasonable and foreseeable risks.
RESPECTING SOVEREIGNTY
Can you give us your views on the ties between Bulgaria and Turkey? In what areas is our relationship the strongest?
Our bilateral relations are very good; there is a lot of trust between our countries and we have frequent high-level contacts. We enjoy very good cooperation in important fields – migration, counter terrorism, energy, agriculture, economy and trade.
The most important thing is to have mutual respect. We should respect each other’s interests, as this will be good for our bilateral relations and will allow us to build a better future.
It is important that we don’t interfere with each other’s domestic issues and respect sovereignty when taking decisions about our own issues.
Of course different countries have different interests, but when you have confidence in each other and communicate directly, without mediators, relations are more real, and mutual interests become easier to find when misunderstandings and prejudices can be eliminated. Here in the Balkans, this is very important.
TURKEY’S SUPPORT FOR NATO
Besides economy and politics, we also have a strong partnership and relations in NATO. We have not forgotten Turkey’s support for Bulgaria’s NATO membership.
Tourism is another important sector in which we have strong ties. Turkey has become a popular destination for Bulgarians in the recent years, and the number of Turkish tourists visiting Bulgaria, and especially our winter resorts, increased by 12.5 percent last year.
We are also boosting cooperation in the fields of culture and cultural heritage. During its EU Presidency, Bulgaria is determined to build on the designation of 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage. I cannot resist talking about St. Stephen Church, known also as the Iron Church, which has been renovated and reopened in Istanbul. It is a piece of art that has been renovated from scratch. This means a lot to us, and it has indeed strengthened our cultural ties.
NEW GENERATION PREFERS WEST
Is there concern in Bulgaria that Turkey is developing closer ties with countries like Russia and China, and has been looking more towards the East in political and economic turns in recent years?
It is the right of Turkey to grasp and to follow any strategy that it believes will be beneficial for its own future. It is about how Turkey defines its interests and how it assesses where its place should be. Secondly, it is important for Turkey to look at where its long-term interests will be better defended. Ultimately, what matters in politics are one’s own interests.
Look at where our children go today for their education, for travel and for job opportunities – more to the West than to the East. At this point, we should simply follow the natural choice of the new generations.
The EU has kept Turkey waiting for so long at its gates, and Turkish society no longer supports the integration of Turkey to the West and EU to the extent it did in the past. Now most EU countries are suggesting that Turkey be a privileged partner rather than a full member of the EU. What are your thoughts on this?
First, Turkey is a candidate country; there has been no change in status. There are many debates within the EU, including several related to its future. There are doubts, fears, hopes, different projects, perceptions, ideas for changing the structure, and more. Turkey is part of the whole debate on how the EU will function in the future, but to become a member of the EU, Turkey must satisfy all the requirements, with no exception and no excuses. That’s what we, as Bulgaria, did. That’s what every member state did. In becoming a member, each one of us became part of a community of shared rules and responsibilities.
I understand your disappointment at having to wait so long, but Turkey is a big country, with over 80 million people, and it is not easy to adapt, but I can assure you that the efforts and patience will be rewarded. For Bulgaria, we were confident that the EU was the best option for us, and we made all the necessary reforms, without excuse.
Second, on the issue of trust, when I was negotiating with the EU for visa-free travel, we needed not only to cover all criteria but also to become a trustful partner. We had already covered the criteria for the Schengen area, but we are still not a Schengen state. We are continuing our efforts in this regard.
MEGAPHONE DIPLOMACY WON’T HELP
Coming back to Turkey and the EU; the negotiations are a process in which both sides try to find areas where their interests meet. Megaphone diplomacy and harsh speeches won’t help either side, although during talks it is normal to disagree sometimes.
The strategy for success requires Turkey to make the EU believe how important its membership is for the Union. I believe Turkey has access to even more arguments and tools than Bulgaria did when convincing the EU of its importance. Turkey should know what its priorities are and should negotiate continuously with the EU, building its case on the advantages of taking Turkey into the Union.
One last thing; I don’t believe the question for Turkey today is about West or East, but rather how to do both. Turkey is bridging East and West, and this is probably its best geopolitical advantage. If Turkey believed that Russia and China were its only options for the future, I am sure the talks with the EU would have already stopped. The fact that the EU talks are continuing means that Turkey believes this membership is important.
What’s the feeling in Bulgaria about the possibility of Turkey’s accession to the Union in the future?
Bulgaria completely supports Turkey’s membership of the Union, and encourages it to continue its efforts in fulfilling all the criteria.
WE CAN BE A GOOD TRANSMITTER
Bulgaria took over Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time in January. Can you tell our readers about Bulgaria’s priorities during its presidency, and specifically those related to the Turkey?
During our EU Presidency, we will be focusing especially on the Balkans, which is an important issue for us because the Balkan countries are our immediate neighbors. We see our role to be keeping every channel that leads to a solution open and making communication easier.
Our ambition is to contribute to visible progress in the implementation of the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy, focusing on the stabilization and prosperity of the immediate neighborhood. Energy security, energy independence, the diversification and interconnectivity of energy supply routes are other issues on which we would like to focus. Another priority will be young people and the challenges they face today in such fields as employment, education, etc.
Our aim regarding the Turkey-EU negotiations during our Presidency will be to facilitate communication between two sides. The forthcoming high level meeting in Varna between President Erdoğan, Prime Minister Borisov, President Junker and President Tusk presents a real opportunity to spur momentum in European-Turkish relations. I believe we can be a good transmitter of the messages, hopes, fears and ideas of both sides. We are a new member of the EU, so Bulgaria can share its experience and knowledge on the EU accession process. In the meantime, we could help the EU to understand Turkey better.
How did the refugee problem change the EU approach to the Turkish issue? Do you think the refugee problem is now under control?
The refugee issue forced us confront challenges we hadn’t faced before. Europe hasn’t dealt with a crisis of that magnitude since World War II and it allowed us to check the ability of Europe to resolve crises responsibly and to forge partnerships. What started as a refugee crisis evolved into a migrant problem and this has raised new challenges and new questions like how can we deal with migrants in the long term. Now we can see that they are not only running away from wars, but also looking for a more economically stable and safe place to live.
WE FACE NEW CHALLENGES
I think the situation is more or less under control today, but we shouldn’t underestimate the need for a long-term strategy. Things are currently unpredictable and we face new challenges that stem from this, like human trafficking, smuggling and organized crime in many forms. Since this is a cross-border issue, collaboration between the countries of origin and the final destinations is a must.
What is the current status of our bilateral economic relations?
Traditionally, the economic relations between Bulgaria and Turkey have been very good and mutually beneficial, due to our close proximity and the business-driven interests in both countries.
For the January–November period in 2017, the total trade volume according to the Statistical Institute of Bulgaria was 3.64 billion Euro, with imports from Turkey accounting for 1.74 billion Euro (19.5% growth) and exports to Turkey at 1.9 billion Euro (12.5% growth). In 2016, these figures were just slightly lower.
Do you have any messages for Turkish businesses who may be interested in investing in Bulgaria? In which sectors do you think there are good opportunities for Turkish investors?
There is very well developed institutional and business dialogue between Bulgaria and Turkey, and we are open and ready to support and provide any necessary information to the Turkish business community related to investments in Bulgaria. We also find the help and collaboration of such Turkish business organizations as DEİK and TOBB, among others, to be very helpful in promoting and assisting in investments in Bulgaria. Our country offers significant benefits to businesses, such as political stability and predictability, a strategic location, low business costs, access to markets and well-educated human resources.
The sectors that we consider would be of particular interest to Turkish investors are electronics and electrotechnics, transport and machinery production, logistics, IT and outsourcing, healthcare and pharmacy, clean and bio-technologies, and agriculture and food, as well as sectors like tourism, energy and construction. In these areas there are opportunities for cooperation and mutually beneficial business development.
What is Bulgaria doing to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)?
In order to attract FDI the InvestBulgaria Agency (IBA) – a government institution – provides information, contacts and project management support to potential investors. The services provided by InvestBulgaria Agency are completely free of charge, and anyone who is interested can explore the business climate and the investment opportunities in the country by browsing the website of the Agency; investbg.government.bg.
CUSTOMS UNION IS BECOMING LESS EQUIPPED
Turkey offered to renegotiate the EU Customs Union agreement back in 2014, but no progress has been made in this regard. What is Bulgaria’s view on the renegotiation of the agreement? Turkey is the EU’s 4th largest export market and 5th largest provider of imports, and the EU is, by far, Turkey’s number one trading partner. Moreover, two thirds of (FDI) in Turkey currently originates in the EU. The Customs Union covers all industrial goods but does not address agriculture (except processed agricultural products), services or public procurement. Bilateral trade concessions apply to agricultural as well as coal and steel products.
The upgrade of the EU-Turkey trade relation constitutes an essential part of the efforts of the EU and Turkey to deepen their relations in key areas of joint interest.
With the evolution of the economic environment and the significant growth in EU-Turkey trade, the Customs Union is becoming less able to deal with the modern day challenges of trade integration. The modernization and extension of the Customs Union could unlock further opportunities in the agri-food and services sectors, as well as the public procurement market. The Commission’s proposal to modernize the Customs Union is currently being discussed in the Council.
Bulgaria, as an EU member, supports in principle the upgrading of economic and trade relations between the EU and Turkey through the Customs Union modernization negotiations, to the best interests of the negotiating parties. Hopefully, this year will see progress in this regard.
What does it mean to you to serve as a woman ambassador in Turkey? Do you have any personal goals that you would like to achieve during your term in Turkey?
As a woman, I do feel comfortable here. I meet a lot of women, and the status of women always reflects on the processes of a changing society. I would like to organize a conference during our Presidency about the empowerment of women, and want to present some success stories of women in Bulgaria, in Turkey and in the region. I have met a lot well-educated, independent women in Turkey, some of them who are very powerful and influential in business, in politics, in the media and in the academia.
We should talk about role models, as women play a crucial role in any society and must be encouraged to make choices about their own destiny. A lot of smart and skilled women are discouraged and suppressed, and lack self-esteem. If we can present some real success stories of women, others may be inspired, and that will be a great step.
Finally, if a woman is being suppressed or abused, she should be encouraged to make it known, without prejudice, as society will then learn how to respect women more. Women must learn how to stand up for their own rights.
