Sir
“PLATO is dear to me, but dearer still is truth”, said a student of Plato and a tutor of Alexander the Great.
While not having the ambition to be compared with him, I would like to paraphrase his words in this way: “Generalising is easy for me, but fairer still is truth”.
These thoughts were provoked by the letter “How is life in Plovdiv?” by Mikael Lawrence-Ammitzboll, published in The Sofia Echo (Sounding Board, May 5 2005), in which, if I have understood correctly, the doubtful statement is made that Greeks are generically corruptors: a statement with which I strongly disagree.
Being an Italian, I cannot be accused of short-sighted nationalism. Being also Executive Director of a Greek company and Vice President of the Hellenic Business Council in Bulgaria, I would like to assure you that all honest Greek corporations operating in Bulgaria apply the same ethical principles as those of the northern European countries (which are all under the same flag of the European Union as Greece) and we are here not only here to do business but also to invest in the country and its people, to support it on its way to successful European integration.
The intelligent audience, as the readers of The Sofia Echo are, deserves well-grounded and true information and not generic statements. The correspondents published on these pages, if they want to be perceived as reliable sources, should put more effort into searching for and analysing facts, and not following the easiest way of simplification/generalisation. And you don’t need to be a Greek philosopher, neither a student of Plato, nor a tutor of Alexander the Great, to subscribe to this.

– Stefano Bodrato
CEO Intracom Bulgaria
Part of the Intracom
Group of Companies


A lack of Christian spirit

AS we made our way to Devin on Good Friday for the Easter weekend, we decided to stop at the Bachkovo monastery.
It had been several years since my last visit, of which I had many pleasant memories and photographs. I hurriedly followed my family into the church where the traditional table was set up under which people crawled. Captivated by the moment, I took a couple of photographs as the children passed under the table. I was immediately reprimanded by an attendant who shouted at me “no photographs”. Realising that I had broken their rules, I immediately apologised and wanted to explain that I had intended no harm or disrespect by my actions, I had just wanted to capture this special moment for the family album (along with their christening photos etc.)
I was, however, not given this chance. I was rudely cut off every time I tried to speak, and was told to leave the premises immediately. Naturally I felt a little hurt and hard done by. I even tried to apologise to the igumen, again explaining that I was a foreigner and just had not noticed the signs in the rush of the moment. He likewise showed no understanding or desire to listen to me. I was treated by him and his attendants like a common criminal and they even went as far as calling the police to escort me off the premises. I felt extremely humiliated, especially as all this was happening in front of my young children. The policeman who escorted me out of the monastery was in fact the only person to show any Christian spirit. As I burst into tears he told me “not to take it to heart, that the staff at the monastery were probably a little stressed because they had a visit from the Russian ambassador.” Not wishing to defend my action, the behaviour of the country’s so-called “spiritual leaders” left me sobbing for the next hour of our journey. Is this the kind of compassion one can expect from the Bulgarian Church, even if one has made a mistake? What if other visitors who make the same mistake are treated like this? The attendant still shouted at me as I left - that I had broken their rules. We all know about breaking rules in this country, I thought to myself, full of self pity.
Needless to say the Easter greeting “Christos voskrese” left me cold. I continue to believe that actions speak louder than words!

– Paromita Sanatani
Sofia