Spanish ambassador Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin, at the end of his term of office in Sofia, tells VELINA NACHEVA that Bulgaria's role will be to bridge the gap between Old and New Europe.



SEVERAL factors bring Spain and Bulgaria together, says outgoing Spanish ambassador Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin.

He is leaving this country with regret, having experienced in his three-year term of office a sense of closeness between the two countries that is built on more than one foundation.

"Bulgaria relations were good and have improved further," he says.

He felt privileged to have served in Bulgaria at a time in which Simeon Saxe-Coburg, someone with close ties to Spain, has been Bulgaria's Prime Minister.

"This has given a special dimension to my mission here," Jorrin says.

Saxe-Coburg, after the monarchy was abolished in Bulgaria and the former royal family went into exile, was based in Madrid for about 50 years. His wife is a citizen of Madrid, and their children were born in the city.

"Four of his children still live in Madrid and people there refer to him as an adopted son," says Jorrin.

This bond between Saxe-Coburg and the Spanish capital made it no wonder that, during his visit to Spain that started on September 29, he was given the special title, "Son of Madrid".

"It is a recognition given to very outstanding people who have not been born in Madrid, who have done something outstanding for the city.

"All 'Son of Madrid' award recipients have strong ties with the Spanish capital, special relationships with the city, or special merit in regard to it. In the case of Saxe-Coburg, all the requirements for the award are combined."

The distinction is a measure of the liking and warmth that the Spanish people feel towards Saxe-Coburg, Jorrin says.

The visit by Saxe-Coburg had other levels of significance too, because it was the first such official visit after Bulgaria's accession to NATO, and the third official visit by a head of government after the Socialist Party won the elections in Spain last year.

Jorrin has another vivid impression of his time in Bulgaria, of the overwhelming level of solidarity shown by Bulgaria's people towards Spain after the March 11 terrorist atrocity in Madrid this year.

"This created a new bond between us," he says.

The March 11 attack, like the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001, was part of the new reality of the world in which Bulgaria and Spain, among others, are making their way.

"Events such as September 11 and March 11 have brought further the necessity of international co-operation and attempting to look at the roots of why things happen in this way."

During Jorrin's term of office, there has been an expansion of cultural and commercial ties. Trade is at a level 30 per cent higher than at the time of his arrival.

The number of economic and entrepreneurial missions has tripled, and interest in Bulgaria among Spanish business people, who come to see the country, is steadily increasing.

The opening of the Cervantes Institute next year, and a bilateral treaty that will create opportunities for employment, are further illustrations of the ever-improving co-operation between the two countries.

Another symbol of friendship was the 2003 visit to Bulgaria by King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain.

"All of these things show how relations between the countries have grown."

In former times, Bulgaria was known in Spain only at the level of being thought of as a Soviet satellite, or as an Eastern bloc country, while some people had heard of the music group The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices.

Saxe-Coburg, as a figure popular in Spain, has helped to improve Bulgaria's image in that country, Jorrin says. In turn, Bulgarians are acquiring a better knowledge of Spain.

On Bulgaria itself, he says that the country is the centre of peace and stability in the whole region of South Eastern Europe, which has been "a weak part of the European construction".

This means that Bulgaria will have an important role in the remainder of the 21st century.

Jorrin sees the world as currently being based on tremendous inequalities, with many people living in very bad conditions, lacking liberty and economic means, and that this constitutes a time bomb.

"We cannot be blind to this," he says.

The current government in Spain has set itself the priority of fighting against poverty, and helping to achieve peace in the Middle East.

In these matters, he says, Spain and Bulgaria are close. "We cannot remain indifferent."

He describes the time that he has spent in Bulgaria as having been "splendid".

"Living in a country in transition, with a feeling that we were also co-operating to help the state become of the member of the European Union family, has been rewarding."

He says of Bulgaria that it is obvious that there has been a general improvement of the situation, and the mood of the people, and their expectations.

Signs of growing economic activity include the rising number of shops and privately-owned cars, and the increasing pace of life in the cities and rural areas.

When he started his term of office, Bulgarian membership of NATO and of the EU seemed far-off targets.

At that time, many would have held the view that it would take many years before Bulgaria could achieve these targets.

Yet it has not been so. Bulgaria joined NATO this year. Accession negotiations with the EU have been completed.

Of the process of EU accession, he says, "a lot of work has been achieved but a lot more is left to do".

As long as this work is done, the date set by the EU for Bulgaria's joining the Union - January 1, 2007 - will be kept.

In the midst of these processes, Jorrin has witnessed the people of Bulgaria developing feelings of greater optimism, self-assertiveness, and confidence in themselves.

"People understand that this is a process with many rewarding steps ahead."

At the same time, Jorrin sees benefits for the EU having Bulgaria as a small member state.

"Bulgaria has important experience in its relations with the Eastern world, and has a tradition of being a cohesive nation with a strong sense of identity with an old culture in Europe. Bulgaria inside the EU will finally fill that gap that will make us forget the old division of Europe."

He and his family will miss most their walks in the centre of Sofia, they friends they have made, and the beauty of the countryside. He has a deep appreciation for the openness of the Bulgarian people.

"I am leaving Bulgaria with a mixture of happiness and sorrow. I wish I could stay longer."







* Born in Madrid on April 1, 1948, Jorrin graduated in law and started his diplomatic career in 1974. His assignments have included Peru, Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.