Sir: I was the British ambassador to Bulgaria from 1989 to 1994. During that time the communist dictator was ousted, the communist regime was overthrown, democracy - with free elections - and a market economy were adopted, and Zhivkov's persecution of the ethnic Turkish and other Muslim minorities (an early form of ethnic cleansing) was halted.

The new, democratic government looked up to the UK as a model and mentor, and we encouraged reform from top to bottom, with aid programmes in local government, policing, democratically accountable security and defence forces, the environment, the humane care of disabled people, and in many other fields. At the same time we expected the Bulgarians to abide by the sanctions regime that we and our allies had imposed on Serbia, and they did so even though it probably hurt them more than the Serbs, by cutting off their vital trading routes to Western Europe.

Later, the Bulgarians were welcomed into Nato, and they have contributed to coalition forces in Iraq. They scrapped their UK visa regime (while we maintained our against them) and welcomed British investors and property developers. And their economy began to grow, faster than most others in Europe.

We encouraged Bulgaria to apply for membership of the European Union. This cherished goal will be achieved in a month's time, and will draw a line under half a century of oppression and tyranny. But instead of welcoming the Bulgarians back into the European fold, our pusillanimous government have chosen to label them - and the Romanians - as second-class EU members by denying them the working rights, which have already been accorded to the other new members from former communist Europe. That by doing so we are also denying ourselves the economic benefits of an addition to our workforce of well-motivated and skilled immigrants is almost beside the point. We have behaved despicably, and I would be ashamed, as a one-time resident apostle of all things worthy and noble about Britain, to show my face again in Bulgaria.

RICHARD THOMAS
STONE-IN-OXNEY, KENT

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