Your Excellency Mr. Anatol Cebuc, these 4 years of your ambassadorship of Moldova in Bulgaria flew by. They were short but memorable. On September 19, 2024, Minister Ivan Kondov awarded you the highest distinction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria – the ‘Golden Laurel Branch’, in recognition of your exceptional contributions to the development and strengthening of bilateral relations. Could you share if there was a moment during these four years when you felt that time had stopped and you could enjoy it peacefully?
– These four years of my activity passed like a minute. It was a difficult period, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the dialogue between the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Bulgaria was very dynamic and constructive.
What were the results from it?
– One of them was Bulgaria’s strong support for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova. We also received your support in managing the energy crisis, which contributed to the stability of the Republic of Moldova in a difficult regional and international context.
Can you tell us more specifically about the actions taken by Bulgaria that demonstrated our support for Moldova and its development?
– During my term, many high-level meetings and consultations were held, but I will highlight a few. On October 13, 2020, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borisov, had a phone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, discussing aspects of bilateral cooperation. Just a week later, on October 20, 2020, bilateral political consultations took place. On January 28, 2021, Boyko Borisov spoke on the phone with the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, reaffirming Bulgaria’s support for Moldova’s European integration and expressing a willingness to share your experience. This support was confirmed during a meeting in Munich on February 19, 2022, between the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.
On March 8, 2022, your Minister of Foreign Affairs, Teodora Genchovska, was on an official visit to the Republic of Moldova. Just a few days after that visit, on March 10, 2022, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov had a phone conversation with President Maia Sandu regarding regional security and the support of European partners for Moldova in the context of the war in Ukraine.
What required this intensity of contacts between the Moldovan President and the Bulgarian Prime Minister?
– The topics of conversation included Moldova’s European path, the flow of refugees from Ukraine, and the need for Moldova and Bulgaria to strengthen their cooperation to better manage this humanitarian crisis.
Besides the phone conversations, was the topic of the war in Ukraine discussed at bilateral meetings?
– Yes, a few months later – on May 25, 2022, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, a meeting took place between the Prime Minister of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilița, and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. They discussed the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine, as well as energy issues and the fight to strengthen the rule of law.
Can it be said that the topic of the war in Ukraine overshadowed all other topics?
-The topic of the war in Ukraine was discussed alongside other key topics about European integration and the development of bilateral dialogue. Moldova’s European path was a leading agenda item – on June 6, 2022, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov held a video call with President Maia Sandu, reaffirming his support and congratulating our head of state on her firm commitment to lead Moldova on the path of reforms necessary for European integration. Subsequently, on November 19, 2022, issues related to Moldova’s EU accession process were discussed between your Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikolai Milkov, and his colleague, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, Nicu Popescu. In March 2023, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova visited Chișinău, joining a group of female officials from the EU and Liechtenstein to express support for Moldova’s European integration.
The strengthening of interactions related to Moldova’s EU accession was a topic of conversation during a meeting between Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Athens on August 22, 2023.
Besides the ministerial level, did you receive special support from other institutions in Bulgaria?
– Of course – the Bulgarian head of state supported Moldova’s European path. President Rumen Radev participated in the meeting of the European Political Community organized in Chișinău on June 1, 2023, where he met with Prime Minister Dorin Recean and discussed the prospects for Moldova’s European integration. Regional cooperation was also discussed.
Speaking of regional cooperation between the two countries, let’s go back in time a bit. President Radev was also on an official visit to Moldova in 2022. What topics were discussed then?
– This was another significant moment in Moldovan-Bulgarian relations – the official visit of President Rumen Radev to Moldova from October 27 to 28, 2022. During this visit, the cooperation agreement between the companies „Energocom“ from Moldova and „Bulgartransgaz“ from Bulgaria was signed, allowing the Moldovan operator access to the Bulgarian gas transmission network. This cooperation underscored the commitment of both countries to strengthen partnerships in the field of energy.
The reorganization of the Taraclia State University (its transformation into a branch of University of Ruse) was also a topic that attracted the interest of the media. Can you tell us how it was included in your diplomatic discussions?
It was a priority for both of us in 2023 and 2024. But first, on May 25, 2022, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov expressed Bulgaria’s support for the development of the Taraclia State University „Grigore Țamblac”, considered an important symbol of friendship between the two countries. It was then a subject of discussion between Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Moldovan President Maia Sandu during a meeting in Athens on August 22, 2023. Of course, two other important topics were also addressed – energy security and Moldova’s European path.
A few months later – on November 4, 2023, the progress on the agreements from Athens was the subject in a phone conversation between Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov.
When you mention that phone conversation, we can’t help but recall that on the last day of October and the first day of November 2023, the Vice President of Bulgaria, Iliana Iotova, was on an official visit to Moldova, and presumably her visit has also intensified our relations?
– Yes. The focus of her visit then was the promotion of cultural values of the Bulgarian minorities in the Republic of Moldova. Vice President Iotova held meetings on this topic with the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, with Prime Minister Dorin Recean, with the Chairman of the Parliament, Igor Grosu, and with the members from the parliamentary group “Friendship with Bulgaria”.
– The intensity of bilateral meetings, such as the meetings in New York on September 19, 2023, between President Rumen Radev and the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, as well as the meeting of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicu Popescu with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel, discussions in Davos on January 18, 2024, between the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria and Moldova, Nikolai Denkov and Dorin Recean, the meeting of the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean on March 1, 2024, as well as the most recent meeting between Foreign Ministers Ivan Kondov and Mihai Popșoi on September 22, 2024, speak of the importance that both states attach to bilateral cooperation and identifying the best solutions for their citizens.
Which Moldovan ministers have visited Bulgaria during your term?
– Intensive dialogue was also ensured at the ministry level, such as the visit to Bulgaria by the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Moldova (November 17, 2022), the meeting of the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova with the Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria (June 14, 2023), the participation of Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov as a guest at the trilateral meeting at the Prime Minister level (Bulgaria, Greece, Romania) in Evksinograd (October 9, 2023), the visit to Bulgaria by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova, Vladimir Bolea (March 28, 2024), the participation of Mr. Ion Iordache, Deputy General Director of the Investment Agency of Moldova at the 68th session of the UN World Tourism Organization’s Commission for Europe (June 1, 2023), and the visit to Bulgaria by Mr. Victor Parlicov, Minister of Energy of Moldova (June 27, 2024).
To the statistics, I could also add many reciprocal visits by the Diplomatic Institute from Bulgaria and the Diplomatic Institute from Moldova.
What are your impressions of the business relations between Bulgaria and Moldova?
– During my term, two Moldovan-Bulgarian business forums were organized. The first – in 2020 – took place online due to the pandemic. The second – on March 27, 2024 – was held in Chișinău. I am glad that these forums contributed to the recovery of the economic dialogue between the two countries.
From March 26-27, 2024, the 9th Moldovan-Bulgarian Commission for Economic Cooperation was held, during which important agreements were signed. Among them was the intergovernmental agreement you mentioned about transforming the Taraclia State University into a branch of University of Ruse.
During your four-year term, „BANKER“ cover the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Moldova and Bulgaria? At that time, you organized a photo exhibition. What other cultural events will you remember with positive emotions?
– On October 20, 2022, a program in Romanian was aired on BNR, and on September 23, 2023, the „Corner of the Republic of Moldova“ was officially opened in the „Garden of the World“ in Pazardzhik. I will certainly not forget the participation of the Republic of Moldova in the International Fair in Plovdiv on September 14, 2023, the furnishing of a bus stop in Sofia with an image of the Castel Mimi, and the launch of the cultural project ‘Diplomacy of Arts – a Bridge Between Peoples’ at the train station in the town of Septemvri. Chronologically, the cultural project at the train station preceded the broadcast on BNR – it took place on January 21, 2022.
Additionally, I want to emphasize that during my four-year term in Bulgaria, a number of artistic groups from Moldova visited it. They participated in international festivals such as ‘The Muses’ in Sozopol and the International Folklore Festival in Veliko Tarnovo.
On the other hand, to promote cultural heritage, we organized annual competitions and workshops for making Martenitsi. In 2024, the Martenitsa celebration was held under the patronage of Ms. Maria Gabriel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the honorary consul of Moldova in Plovdiv, Veselin Chipev, and the honorary consul of Moldova in Burgas, Zhenya Atanasova. Without their help, our economic and cultural initiatives would not have developed as successfully. They do a lot to promote our bilateral relations, and without them, my four-year term would have looked differently.
