Bulgaria and Romania need more people and organisations that are bridges of friendship

Emil Stanciu, Tele Moldova Plus, 28 January 2023

Emil Stanciu, from the Union of Professional Journalists of Romania, asked a few questions on behalf of Tele Moldova Plus to Vladimir Mitev, a Bulgarian-Romanian journalist. The interview was about the current state of Romanian-Bulgarian relations, the importance of the Schengen issue in them, the truth about the idea of a high-speed train from Ruse to Bucharest and the Henri Coanda Airport, the role of people-to-people contacts in Romanian-Bulgarian relations. Stanciu also asked some questions about Vladimir Mitev’s professional activity – both in terms of the Bulgarian-Romanian journalism he practices and the Iranian dimension of his work. At the end, Vladimir suggested to the viewers that we should all have a dynamic perspective towards other nations or other people, instead of one based on a static positive or negative perception of them.

Hello and happy birthday, dear friends! As we are still at the beginning of the year, we are in, let’s say, the new studio of Tele Moldova Plus. From here, from one of the most beautiful neighbourhoods in Bucharest, the Armenian Quarter, very, very close to the Bulgarian Quarter (I confess that I found out about it today), as our interlocutor today tells me, himself a very good friend, a reputed Bulgarian journalist. I am not afraid of this word. Vladimir Mitev. Perhaps it’s better if he tells us a few words about himself and his concerns, mainly in the field of Romanian-Bulgarian relations, but not only. We’re listening, Vladimir.

Hello, thank you for the invitation to your television. Indeed, I have been acting for a long time as a Romanian-Bulgarian journalist, someone who writes in Romanian, writes in Bulgarian, for several media in both countries. And now I can’t list all the media I’ve collaborated or interacted with, but I can say that I have major valences at Radio Bulgaria where there’s a Romanian language section, so part of my concern is to provide information in Romanian about Bulgaria.

…You are an editor at Radio Bulgaria.

And I’m also the Radio Romania correspondent for Bulgaria. So also part of my duties is to provide insights into Bulgarian politics or Bulgarian society for listeners in Romania. And I also have different projects, either personal or different collaborations with media in both countries. Probably the most important one for the Romanian audience would be the Friendship Bridge blog, which is a website in Romanian, Bulgarian and English language and there you can find more information about Bulgaria and Romania, but also about the relations between them. I can maybe talk a lot. In short, I think I have found a niche that is necessary for both peoples. And as the Friendship Bridge’s name suggests, I pass information or experiences in both directions.

Let those who follow us know that you are from Ruse, the town across the Danube from Giurgiu. And that explains a lot about the wonderful Romanian language you speak. I wish I could speak it, Bulgarian too, but no way.

Yes, indeed, having been born in Ruse, I have had a curiosity towards Romania for a long time, but I must say I am not of Romanian origin. I hope I don’t disappoint with that. Sometimes it also happens with a Bulgarian to have some positive emotion about Romanians, without necessarily being of Romanian ethnicity. And I learned most of the Romanian language in Sofia. In fact, being a student and then working in Sofia, I found a possibility to develop this knowledge of Romanian and, therefore, already later, when I was doing this website I mentioned, the Friendship Bridge, and when I came back to Ruse, I could already develop the language further on my own, without a teacher.

You are undoubtedly one of the best connoisseurs and not only of Romanian-Bulgarian relations. How would you describe them? What would be the strengths and weaknesses of these relations? What more could we all do to bring us closer together, not just the symbolic bridge?

I would say that Romanian-Bulgarian relations are moving in a positive direction, in the sense that they will also become more dynamic at the political level and we see that at the economic level the commercial exchange is very high. However, if I have to be a bit critical, I would say that there is still not enough knowledge and trust between peoples. On the one hand it may work well, but it seems to me that we need more people who really serve as a kind of bridge of friendship between both peoples. So there must be people, organizations, communities perhaps, that have the trust of both sides. It seems to me that if there are more such people or organizations, relations could be really very good and much more satisfying. I’m afraid that there is an inertia from past times, maybe socialist or transitional times, and there are still some clichés or prejudices that are not very justified today, but somehow they create limits. So people communicate with a kind of suspicion, but personally, I think we are not as bad or as stupid as we might sometimes seem. And for me at least the positive direction or meaning in relationships is to move towards more knowledge, more interaction on a people’s level. So it seems to me that our elites are making good efforts, but without knowledge and openness between peoples, it’s not going to go very far.

That is certainly the case. I am much less familiar with Romanian-Bulgarian relations. But let’s say that in the case of the recent attempts to bring both countries into Schengen, perhaps if Romanian-Bulgarian relations had been closer, we would have been at least one step ahead, I think…

Yes. One can talk a lot about the Schengen aspect. I personally noticed that just after this agreement was reached with Austria on joining Schengen, some Romanian MEPs, a Bulgarian member of the national parliament, as well as a somewhat influential person from Greece, proposed the abolition of border controls between Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. And for me, such an idea, even though it may seem more difficult now, because the agreement with Austria provides for strengthening controls, not weakening them, nevertheless, for me this idea is interesting. So personally I find it interesting to study this idea, to hear the different opinions, pro and anti and it seems to me that our countries have a degree of their own subjectivity, to make their own choice. And initiatives that make us both as countries and as peoples more autonomous, let’s say, or more capable of doing something, in general, are not bad. I don’t see them as anti-progress.

You asked me about Schengen. Now we have this agreement with Austria, which may have good and bad sides. Now it seems to me that we also have to think about our countries and all think about how we could do things better.

Again, speaking as an amateur, as an outsider, I have a sneaking suspicion that if it were not for all these obstacles, which in my opinion were forced and undeserved, perhaps we would often have achieved even greater rapprochement between the Bulgarians and Romanians. Of course, there are other aspects, but the amendment was made several times, and an attempt was made to create a common front between the two governments, starting from Schengen, of course.

I have noticed that not only Schengen, but also the general international context linked to the war in Ukraine and the somewhat natural desire, perhaps also of our partners in the West, to have a better infrastructure – several things have led to joint initiatives between Romania, Bulgaria and Greece at government level. Being in Ruse, a city in Northern Bulgaria, with a less developed infrastructure and being Romanian-speaking, I, of course, personally, as a citizen, would gain if we have better infrastructure, if there are more relations between us. I see this as something positive that works for more people. That’s my perspective, my opinion. So I say that this trend, as far as it goes forward, will be good for everybody, not just for some, against others. And that’s why I see it positively.

That’s the way I think. And because you were talking about the city of Ruse, we know each other, we are friends, that’s why I speak to you with familiarity. I like Ruse very much and I know it very well. And you’ve been a very competent guide to the city for me and my friends several times. I know everything from the many visits I’ve made to Ruse or Tarnovo, that there are many, what shall I call them, inhabitants of Ruse… those of Giurgiu we call “Giurgiuvians”.

It’s hard for me to say. I say citizens of Ruse. There is no specific word for that in Romanian..

Many citizens of Ruse come to Bucharest quite often, because it is somewhat more accessible to them, not necessarily from who knows. It’s something more pragmatic. I know you and I had a discussion and you clarified it for me. There was a news item recently. I am still not convinced. It was about the fact that, once the Giurgiu-Bucuresti railway works, which have unfortunately been dragging on for too many years, have been completed, a more natural link would be made between Otopeni and Ruse, and it seems to me that your point of view is more authoritative here.

It is not just my point of view. I would also give the point of view of the institutions or companies, who know what this is about. So I personally asked for opinions or reaction on the part of the Romanian company Transferoviar Călători, which was mentioned in some of the information as the future operator. I have also contacted the Bulgarian National Railway Infrastructure Agency to find out what is going on, what kind of discussions are being held. This Bulgarian agency deals with railway infrastructure and you cannot operate in Bulgaria without its permit. She said that until 9 January 2024, when I received the answer, there were no discussions about such an interaction, about some kind of high-speed train from Ruse to Bucharest. Until then there was no such thing. Whereas the news we know came out earlier, at the end of last year, and in fact it also came from an anonymous Facebook page. So we also have to have some kind of skepticism or verification when something like this comes out.

But perhaps more important is the response of the Romanian company, which was covered by several media afterwards. It was also addressed to several journalists. I also know of other Bulgarian journalists who received this response. In short, from what I understand the answer in my opinion, it gives the impression that there could be such interest in principle, but everything is very vague now, without much clarification and also the company said that if there would be such news, such a project and more concrete details (because the information distributed earlier in the media had the price, had the duration of the trip) these dates cannot be established now and they will be communicated by both the Romanian and the Bulgarian side (because there should be a Bulgarian partner) and it will be communicated by both sides together. So I would say personally, from this whole saga I got the impression that good intentions exist, but it’s a long, long time before they are realized and any information with concrete dates is speculation or fake news at the moment.

Speaking of your projects that I like. I know you are very concerned about the four rounds of elections in Romania this year, in 2024.

Yes, I can talk about that too. I have taken on a project, let’s call it my own project. So I make this project and I demand it of myself and I expect it of myself. Through the Friendship Bridge blog I have already started a series of interviews with people who are more ordinary. They are not politicians, but people who have certain professions or have something that makes their opinion important and they are Romanians. I try through these discussions to somehow make a kind of bigger picture of what Romanian society looks like in the supra-election year when I will vote in all possible elections. 

I think the project already contains even more. I’m thinking of travelling more often in Romania, maybe even going deeper into Romania, not just to the big cities. In terms of ambitions it seems to me that this project sets me in motion and in fact it has certain support from various media in Bulgaria. In the sense that, for example, Bulgarian National Radio has already interviewed me twice on Romanian topics, even if it was at the beginning of the year. In the first two weeks there were two interviews with me and I know that the Bulgarian National Radio, because I am doing this, will be more interested in Romanian topics. I also had talks with a popular or serious media in Bulgaria, for which I will write a series of materials. And I have also had some discussions with the Romanian media, in the sense that there could be collaboration in this direction. So, in short, this self-assumed project seems to me that it is already leading to greater interest among people, media and societies in our countries.

Without setting myself up as the spokesperson for Tele Moldova Plus, I would like to make a proposal that I am almost certain that the general director of the station, Petru Frașilă, will accept. So I would say that you can rely on our TV station in these beautiful and necessary steps.

Thank you. This is not the time to discuss, I think in front of the cameras, but I am open to more media in Romania and that’s good.

That’s fine. Maybe it seems a bit strange in the economy of the discussion so far, but I know you are giving your PhD in a field that has nothing to do with Romanian-Bulgarian relations, but with another passion, dare I say, Iranian civilization, Iranian politics.

Yes. Historically speaking, this is how things developed, because when I was very young, I graduated in Iranian studies from the University of Sofia. So I speak at a certain level, let’s say relatively good Persian. Later I realized that it was much easier to develop relations with Romania and being from the city of Ruse, for a very low cost and no problems at the border, I could get to Bucharest very easily, whereas Iran is somehow very far away, it’s expensive and it’s not a country that is so easy to access.

However, at some point, because different cataclysms happen sometimes in life, I opted for such a PhD in contemporary Iranian literature, whereby I solved some things I had to solve at that time. This PhD is not yet completed and we will see what will happen, because Iran is indeed a very difficult subject. We know that politically Iran is also a more special country. Our countries are in NATO and the European Union. Iran has a more specific policy, as I said. There are different difficulties when one has an Iranian aspect, let’s say, in what one does.

But I can say that there is a Romanian-Bulgarian-Persian blog and I named it inspired by the Bridge of Friendship, The Persian Bridge of Friendship.

That’s what I wanted to talk about.

I would say that at a rather slow speed and without great ambitions there is such a thing, that it seems to me that Iran can also be dealt with on a human level, let’s say, or popular level without there necessarily being the tense aspect of suspicion, control or security. It seems to me that there is also something optimistic that can be communicated for relations between our area, let’s say on a large scale, which may also include other countries, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other. But time will show whether the Bridge of Friendship can also be realised in the Persian direction.

It certainly will. What else do you think you’d like to convey to our viewers that I neglected to ask.

I don’t have a topic to discuss. I’m just taking the opportunity that we’ve discussed now to say that Bulgaria and Romania are not fixed societies, that is, they are not societies that don’t change. And if any of us have negative or sceptical opinions or any kind of opinions, maybe even positive opinions, I would advise us to look at Bulgaria thinking that it is something dynamic and it is something interesting because it is not fixed, it is dynamic. So me already being Romanian-speaking, having a kind of Romanian spirit, let’s say in me, I look at Bulgaria a bit differently. As someone who speaks Romanian I would say that even though it might be difficult, there are interesting things to be found in Bulgaria. That may be the message in a nutshell.

Thank you, Vladimir! We will certainly see each other again in the not too distant future. Hopefully we’ll expand a bit on the topics covered today or new ones. All the best!

Photo: (source: Tele Moldova Plus)

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