Mr. Peter Petri, dean of the Graduate School of International Economics and Finance at Brandeis, has recently accepted the position of economic advisor to the Bulgarian government. Mr. Petri is an expert on trade, investment and economic policy. He has consulted with the World Bank, the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Petri was invited to the Bulgarian post by Nikolay Vassilev, deputy prime minister and minister of economy of Bulgaria, during a recent visit to Brandeis. Vassilev received a master's degree from Brandeis in 1997.
Mr. Petri answered questions of Martina Iovcheva
Q: Professor Petri, were you surprised when Mr. Nikolay Vassilev invited you to become advisor to the Bulgarian government?
A: Yes, very pleasantly so. In the past, I worked as an advisor in a dozen or so countries, mostly in East Asia, but never expected to be asked to advise the Bulgarian government. It's a great honor.
Q: What are the first three things that come to your mind when you think about Bulgaria?
A: It's rich history that reaches back to Thrace and Rome; it's difficult life at the crossroads of East and West, especially since World War II; and the dramatic recent return of King Simeon II and the reforms that promise a better future.
Q: What is your impression from the Bulgarian students in Brandeis?
A: We have had some excellent students in addition to Deputy Prime Minister Vassilev-from this sample it seems that Bulgarians are extremely hard working, very smart, and interesting people! I hope we get many more in the future thanks to our famous alumnus.
Q: What is your opinion of Nikolay Vassilev? Were you surprised when you understood that he had become Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister?
A: Given his special talents in business and finance, and his energetic, positive personality, I always expected Minister Vassilev to become very successful. And he was already well on the way to doing that in business when he was invited to join the government. But I was still surprised, because it's unusual for people to be so successful in politics at a young age. (Although John Kennedy was not much older when he was elected to the US Senate in my home state of Massachusetts.)
Q: Do you plan to visit Bulgaria? If yes, when?
A: I'd like to very much, but don't yet know when. I will try to accommodate my schedule to when Minister Vassilev feels I can make the greatest possible contribution.
Q: What will be your recommendations to the Bulgarian top economists?
A: My first task will be to learn from them-to understand better what they feel are the country's biggest economic challenges. But overall I favor creating a "market friendly" economic environment, one in which policies are stable, taxes are low, and people are willing to invest and work hard because they have confidence that they will benefit from good economic results.
Q: What is the image of Bulgaria in the United States?
A: As a big country, America tends to focus more on events at home than abroad. I am always surprised when I travel to see how much more international reporting there is in a foreign newspaper than in an American newspaper. That's also why most Americans don't know very much about Bulgaria. But Americans are normally open and friendly (although we are still recovering from the effects of September 11), and Bulgarians visiting here can expect to be warmly received.
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