In a confirmation hearing before the US senate committee on foreign relations, chaired by Barack Obama, US ambassador-designate to Bulgaria Nancy McEldowney has outlined her priorities as Washington’s envoy in Sofia.
McEldowney, a career diplomat who currently is deputy chief of mission in Ankara, told the committee at the April 8 hearing: “We will broaden and deepen our co-operation in combating terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, trafficking in persons and narcotics, and other forms of transnational crime”.
She said that, if confirmed as ambassador, she would work to advance stability and security throughout the Balkans, “to help this long-troubled region enjoy peace and prosperity as part of an undivided Euro-Atlantic community”.
The embassy would promote the security and diversity of energy supplies, building on Bulgaria’s strategic location as a key transit route across the European continent.
Touching on organised crime and corruption, an issue in Bulgaria that has been highlighted by a succession of recent US ambassadors in Sofia, McEldowney said: “We will catalyse unfinished legal and judicial reforms, supporting the Bulgarian government’s own efforts to combat corruption and organised crime, and to promote good governance, public trust, and the rule of law”.
She vowed that the US and Bulgaria would expand their trade and economic co-operation, increasing commercial opportunities for US companies and stimulating sustainable growth in the Bulgarian economy.
“This is an ambitious agenda but one that can be achieved through concerted effort and joint action. Bulgaria is a country that is firmly committed to the principles and practices of democracy and free market economy. It has made significant progress in both domestic reform and international engagement, and the government is determined to continue these efforts,” she told the committee.
“As a bilateral partner, a Nato ally and a genuine friend of the United States, Bulgaria is a country of importance and promise,” McEldowney said.
She said that since the senate committee on foreign relations voted three years ago to confirm current US ambassador John Beyrle, a number of important developments had taken place.
These included the defence co-operation agreement authorising US military units to train at specified Bulgarian bases, signed in April 2006. The first exercise under this agreement took place in September 2007. This summer, about 1000 US and Bulgarian troops would train together, McEldowney said.
She said that over the next 12 months, the US air force would conduct three training events with about 250 US service members each.
Noting that Bulgaria had joined the European Union in January 2007, following Bulgaria’s entry into the Nato alliance in March 2004, McEldowney said that “taken together, these represent the culmination of a process of democratisation and reform that began over 19 years ago with the fall of communism and single party rule in 1989”.
Bulgaria is a member of the coalition in Iraq and a contributor to the Nato effort in Afghanistan. Bulgarian soldiers are deployed with US troops at Camp Ashraf in Iraq and in ISAF operations in Kandahar, Kabul and Herat, Afghanistan. Bulgarian soldiers also participate in Nato, EU and UN peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Liberia and Ethiopia.
“With the support of US assistance monies generously allocated by this congress, Bulgaria has accomplished important reforms in economic development, local governance, and national institutions, including the establishment of the American University in Bulgaria and the National Institute of Justice, one of the premier Eastern European training centres for judges and prosecutors.”
She said that trade and investment between the US and Bulgaria had “surged”, as the Bulgarian economy had grown more than five per cent annually in the past five years.
“In 2007, bilateral trade totalled almost $1 billion and cumulative investment by American companies is estimated at more than $5.5 billion. These are impressive accomplishments that illustrate the vibrancy and vast potential of the bilateral partnership between our two countries.
“But there is still more to be done. Bulgaria still suffers from pervasive corruption and organised crime that undermines public confidence in its institutions. The Balkan region is still burdened with instability, as we have seen recently in Serbia and Kosovo. European energy supplies still lack sufficient security and diversity. And there is still more that the US and Bulgaria can do together to advance our common strategic interests,” she said.
“If confirmed, my top priority will be to protect the security of the United States and our citizens, including American facilities and personnel in Bulgaria,” McEldowney said.
