The United Kingdom Ambassador, H.E. Jonathan Allen, is optimistic about Bulgaria and believes the country is on the right path.

The diplomat made the statement during a public lecture organized by the Atlantic Club together with the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy.

Allen noted that when the Eurozone economy recovers, Bulgaria's starting point with its low budget deficit and low foreign debt would turn into a remarkable springboard.

Among the recommendations, he listed at the first place the need for Bulgaria to stop looking at itself as a small and insignificant country, comparing its population and the number of European voters with those of Austria and Sweden.

The Ambassador stressed Bulgaria must be part of a very important union with Brussels; a country expecting to receive from negotiations what it wants, and abandon the underdog viewpoint that processes always happen due to outside influences.

He pointed out the country has all prerequisites to be a mid-level player in the EU.

Allen said that despite different expectations, Bulgaria was, indeed, listed as the poorest EU Member State, underscoring it was better to be the poorest in the club of the rich, than the opposite.

The Ambassador also noted the upwards trend over the last decade, giving as example the increase of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita from 28% from the EU average in 2000 to 46% in 2011.

Among the strongest negatives, the diplomat listed persisting high corruption risk and flaws of the judicial system.

Jonathan Allen is seen in Bulgaria as the first ambassador to fully immerse into the country's culture and traditions.