Address by Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of the State Visit to Bulgaria, Sofia, October 6, 1999
Mr President,
My husband and I would like to thank you for the kind words you have just addressed to us and to the Netherlands. You are familiar with our country. We have had the pleasure of welcoming you to the Netherlands on two occasions. In nineteen ninety-seven you took part in the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Marshall Plan, and last year you paid an official visit to the Netherlands. The interesting conversations we had during those events strengthened our desire to visit your country in the near future. We are grateful that you have given us the opportunity to become acquainted with Bulgaria and we are happy to be your guests today.
Your country - and your people - can look back on a long history. What is most remarkable is that despite repeated invasions by hostile peoples and occupations by foreign powers, Bulgaria's distinctive character and culture have been preserved throughout the centuries. This did not happen of its own accord, but it is the result of the self-assurance and endeavours of the Bulgarians themselves, proud as they have always been of their country and their distinguished past. The many monuments and historic buildings in Bulgarian cities bear witness to that rich past. They are also one of the reasons why Bulgaria attracts innumerable foreigners every year, including thousands of Dutch people. When it comes to visitors from the Netherlands, my husband and I realise that we are certainly not in the vanguard!
More recently too, Bulgaria had to endure a long period of oppression. With its traditional resilience, your country now seems to be making an active recovery. People in Western Europe are aware that the problems involved are of no small consequence. The legacy of the communist period weighs heavily on Bulgaria and recent political events in the region have seriously obstructed economic recovery. It is first and foremost the Bulgarian people who have had to bear the burden. It is all the more gratifying to note that your government is moving forward once again in the difficult process of economic development and has had the courage to take far-reaching measures and to carry through radical reforms. There is now wide spread support for your government's efforts to accelerate the modernisation of the economy. The countries of Western Europe will have to be prepared to assist Bulgaria in fulfilling this demanding task. The Netherlands hopes to be able to make a genuine contribution in this respect.
The history of our continent has certainly been turbulent. This is even more true of the part of Europe to which Bulgaria belongs. The differences that arose here in the past have not yet been surmounted. In recent years they have led to serious armed conflicts not far from your borders. Bulgaria, which itself has been through so much, has been aware from the outset of the serious dangers these continuing conflicts present for peace in Europe as a whole. In this period your country has not shirked its responsibilities and has deliberately positioned itself as a stable - and stabilising - factor in the region. The priority your government gives to good contacts with neighbouring countries and Bulgaria's active participation in regional cooperation are evidence of this endeavour.
Furthermore, Bulgaria is the driving force behind the trilateral meetings that take place on a regular basis with neighbouring countries. Your country has also enhanced its efforts to create stability in the region by contributing to the NATO operations in Kosovo. In these many ways, despite its own difficulties, Bulgaria plays an important and constructive role that has earned it great admiration.
Culture and the arts have made a significant contribution to the renewed interest in Bulgaria that has grown in Western Europe. Even in the times of estrangement, the realisation remained that through the centuries, Bulgaria has been one of the pillars of the European cultural heritage and has played an important role in its preservation and maintenance. Your churches and cathedrals call to mind the continued awareness of religion, history and the visual arts. One of your national places of pilgrimage has been put on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Your ancient alphabet was borrowed by a number of countries and never given back. Postwar excavations in the Thracian plain revealed the roots of Bulgarian civilisation in a wealth of finds from days long past. As a result of your efforts to share your national treasures with other countries, numerous people have been able over the years to become acquainted with the various aspects of Bulgarian culture. This is also true of the Netherlands, which thanks to a great variety of contacts and exchanges, has come to know - if I may borrow the name of one of your choirs - "le mystère de la voix Bulgare".
In some areas the Netherlands and Bulgaria complement each other. For Europe, your country is a window on the South East, as our country is a window on the North West. In both countries transport and transit play a major role. Bulgaria shows the world how beautiful roses can be, just as the Netherlands enjoys a reputation for tulips. Exchanges between our countries bring together Bulgarians and Dutch people from various backgrounds: dancers to learn from each other and archaeologists to penetrate even deeper into the secrets of the past. The twinning of Burgas and Rotterdam and of Varna and Dordrecht have given rise to their own events and projects, particularly in the cultural field. These are only a few, but certainly very striking examples of meetings between our citizens and of interests and activities our countries have in common. At an official level too, ties are becoming ever closer. Indeed, during this State Visit, our ministers have signed agreements on stimulating and protecting mutual investments and on cooperation between our armed forces in the peace operations in Kosovo.
Mr President,
The Bulgarians' pilgrimage began long ago. "As early as the tenth century", the British historian Gibbon wrote, "Bulgaria took its rank among the civilised countries in Europe". Today, thousand years later, your country wishes to retain that historic place, but now in a Europe that has committed itself to a unique process of integration and has already progressed a long way on that road. I should like to express the hope that it will not be long before Bulgaria, as a European partner, has also taken its place in that Union.
May I invite all those present to raise their glasses with me and to drink to your health Mr President, and to that of Mrs Stoyanova, and to the happy continuation of the historic ties between the Bulgarian and the Dutch peoples.