TIME: 10 Questions For Bulgarian Deputy PM Ivaylo Kalfin

Views on BG | January 18, 2007, Thursday // 00:00

Bulgaria's entry into the European Union on Jan. 1 should have been one of its finest moments. But for Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Ivailo Kalfin, that glory has been overshadowed by crisis. Two weeks earlier, five Bulgarian nurses were sentenced to death in Libya for deliberately infecting children with HIV, a charge widely believed to be groundless. Kalfin discussed Bulgaria's highs and lows with Time's Violeta Simeonova Stanicic in Sofia.

Q: How does it feel to be part of the E.U.?

A: It is a very pleasant feeling. To be European is not something that is self-evident. One has to gain one's place in the European family.

Q: How important is this for Bulgaria?

A: It is the capstone of 17 years of changes. It is part of a long transformation from a communist state to a state that shares European values. This transition did not end on Jan. 1. It will continue.

Q: What do you think Bulgaria will bring to the E.U.?

A: In foreign policy, Bulgaria can contribute a lot in fields like the Balkans, the Black Sea region, the Caucasus, energy policies.

Q: In the last decade, some 10% of the Bulgarian population has departed. Will you take any measures to stop the flow?

A: I am sure that, with the opening up of the European labor markets, there will be increased interest among Bulgarians to leave, specifically nurses, doctors and some other specialized fields. But at the same time, there is an increased interest from Bulgarians who left the country years ago and are planning to come back.

Q: How many Bulgarians do you expect to leave for the West this year?

A: I don't expect a mass dramatic exodus. The U.K. and Ireland are restricting access to workers from Bulgaria and Romania, the other country just admitted to the E.U. They did not restrict access to Poles.

Q: How does your country feel about these restrictions?

A: Well, they are part of the accession agreement. But I am sure that the future will show that Bulgarian workers are not a danger for the European labor market.

Q: What do you think of the death sentences given to the five Bulgarian nurses in Libya?

A: Bulgaria's opinion is that the court overlooked the evidence of international experts, including a letter from 114 Nobel prizewinners and an article in [science journal] Nature that said that the tragedy with the hiv epidemic in the children's hospital did not start with the arrival of the Bulgarian nurses but existed there before that. We are extremely disappointed. The court refused to allow the expertise, to hear the witnesses, offered by the defense.

Q: Since Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi gave up his nuclear program, he has become a friend of the West. Should he be?

A: After years of isolation, Libya is trying to warm up its relations with the international community. Giving up weapons of mass destruction was very important. There are significant interests connected with oil production in Libya and it has joined in the struggle to restrict illegal migration from Africa to Europe. These are real interests to the U.S. and Europe. But for Libya to fit in completely in the framework of normal international relations - which we would also like to see - it must convincingly safeguard human rights, including in this trial.

Q: What is your plan to get the nurses free?

A: A plan to get them freed seems a little bit like a Hollywood movie. What we have in mind is to go through the judicial procedure. Solidarity and attention from the media, the public, ngos and scientists around the world is also extremely important. From now on, it is up to Libya to show how persuasive it can be to its international partners.

Q: How did you personally greet Bulgaria's entrance to the E.U.?

A: In a square in Romania. I had an agreement with my Romanian colleague Mihai- Razvan Ungureanu that we would [celebrate in each others' cities]. So I went to Bucharest and he came to Sofia. [E.U. Enlargement Commissioner] Olli Rehn said that in the European Commission they used to talk about our two countries as R&B. There was an argument over which was the rhythm and which was the blues, but at the end everything finished successfully.

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