H.E. Fernando Arias Gonzalez was appointed Spain's Ambassador to Sofia in November this year. Prior to his arrival in Sofia he served as Second Secretary at the Spanish Embassy in the Netherlands (1979), Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Spain in Romania (1983), Mexico (1990) and Argentina (1994). He was appointed Ambassador of Spain to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (1998) and the Republic of Mali (1999). In 2001 he took over the post of Director of State Protocol at the Prime Minister Office.
H.E. Gonzalez spoke to Sofia News Agency Editor-in-Chief Milena Hristova
Q: How do you expect relations between Spain and Bulgaria to change over the next few years? Can you single out concrete projects and ideas for further development in the fields of economy, business and culture?
A: I have a serious base to be positive as bilateral ties are recovering from the times when the two countries did not have diplomatic relations - the totalitarian and dictatorship regimes in Bulgaria and Spain. We worked a lot in the last ten years to fill this gap and now we have constructed the net that allows us to do this well.
Last week we received two high-ranking officials from the Cervantes Institute to pick a building for the establishment of the Cervantes Institute. It is difficult to understand how Bulgaria has no Spanish cultural center yet with thousands of Spanish speaking people here. We plan this to be a center for Hispanic culture, which will be joined by our friends from the Ibero-American Embassies.
Big Spanish companies are already coming to Bulgaria to invest in roads, bridges, railway systems and water treatment, among them Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas. Their goal is to invest here dozens of million of euros, open offices and stay for a long time.
Q: What did you know about Bulgaria before you came here?
A: I knew the communist Bulgaria from my stay in Bucharest in the eighties. Later when I came to visit a friend in Sofia I saw a completely different Bulgaria, fortunately it had nothing to do with the country I knew before.
I accompanied President Aznar during his visit to Bulgaria three years ago, when he conferred with the Bulgarian prime minister and they had an interesting conversation. It was then that I realized the country was on the right track.
The frame of the European Union is going to help a lot. It is important however to realize that EU membership is not the solution for everything. It means joining a very exclusive democratic club, which gives new opportunities to work efficiently and on the basis of a stable democratic society and economic system.
Q: Now that you mention Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, don't you think his first official visit to Madrid should have taken place earlier? It occurred as late as four years after he came into office...
A: It would have been impossible to take place earlier. The most important thing in making a visit is to be certain it is going to be successful. The visit of Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg to Spain in September was a big success, he became the center of the highest honor. The timing was perfect and the success - fantastic.
Q: How do you explain the fact that the prime minister is more appreciated abroad than in Bulgaria?
A: I can answer the question in relation with Spain, where he is a highly appreciated and respected figure. The Spanish people are not speaking on second hand information and we know his devotion to his country since a child, the development of his studies and career. He is well known internationally, above all in the royal house halls in the Netherlands, Britain and Denmark and the prime ministers of the European countries.
As for Bulgaria I must tell you that Bulgaria is very lucky with the prime minister you have - a balanced and honest person, with deep knowledge about the world, who gains no personal benefits from his work here.
I have to add that Bulgaria is also very lucky to have for President Georgi Parvanov, whom I have met on several occasions.
Bulgaria's President and Prime Minister are two persons who have very high professional and personal level.
Q: How do you assess Bulgaria's decision to stay in Iraq as compared to Spain's decision to pull out? Can pressure be exerted on Bulgaria to withdraw its troops?
A: Any decision that has to do with Iraq should be inspired by the conviction that we have to help build a new democratic and strong Iraq. The situation there is difficult and we all bear a responsibility. Bulgaria's decision to stay is a way to help, but it does not want to lose its debt. Spain decided to withdraw but it is one of the highest donors in Iraq, maintaining its commitment to give more than EUR 300 M. Furthermore, following the meeting of the Paris Club several weeks ago, Spain is renouncing 80% of Iraq's debt, which totals USD 482 M.
Q: What is the feeling now in Madrid following the terror attacks on March 11?
A: This was the saddest moment in my life. People have grown cautious of the terror problem now, while politicians agree that the threat is very serious. We knew already that terrorism is very difficult to fight, having experience with the terrorist group ETA for more than thirty years. The society is now traumatized and we have the feeling we didn't deserve that, because Spain is an open country, accepting people from other countries, Arab included. That only means that no place is safe from a terrorist attack and we have to adopt measures, like the Alliance of Civilizations that Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero presented in UN General Assembly. We have to work together to fill in the gap between the Islamic and Western world.
Q: You know Bulgaria's neighbor and EU accession pal Romania well. Do you think Bulgaria deserves to be unhitched from Romania should it start to lag behind?
A: We have to do our best to keep the two negotiating procedures together. In my opinion should Romania fall behind before the target date of January 1, 2007, it would be very unfair and absurd to link the two countries. I have no doubt that Bulgaria should be accepted as a member should Romania start to lag behind.
Q: What can Bulgaria lose if the two countries are split up?
A: Bulgaria will lose nothing if the process of splitting up the two countries is properly explained. Why should Bulgaria wait two extra years for becoming a member after finishing the negotiations of all the chapters? Spain in its turn can communicate its experience.
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Photo by Kameliya Atanasova (Sofia News Agency)
