The Ambassador of Greece Danae-Madeleine Koumanakou: We celebrate every day the EU accession of Bulgaria

Ambassador Danae-Madeleine Koumanakou started her career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece. She worked as a diplomat at the embassies of Greece in Nicosia, Berne, Geneva, Paris, Ankara, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs European Bureau, as well as at the UN General Assembly. Ambassador Madeleine Koumanakou graduated in Paris VIII University with master’s degree in sociology and in Panteion University in Athens with master’s degree in political sciences.

- Madam Ambassador, thank you very much for giving the first interview since your arrival to Bulgaria to our Press Center. You started your mission here at interesting times: the accession of Bulgaria to the EU. What do you think is important at this stage? If you ask me today, I would say: bringing a different alphabet to the EU…

- You don’t bring a different alphabet, you bring your own alphabet! The European Union is not built on differences, it’s built on converging interests and ideas. I believe it is important that Bulgaria, as well as everybody else, starts reasoning in terms of what can be done, and not of what cannot be done. So you are bringing YOUR alphabet.

- The alphabet is a topical issue. Euro in Bulgarian, as in Greek, is pronounced Evro. For the Greek transcription, it is accepted and written on every single euro note. How about the Bulgarian transcription?

- The fact that on banknotes or coins it is written EURO or EYRO in Greek stems from negotiations that took place some time ago. It is pertinent, since today your Minister Mr. Nikolay Vassilev is travelling to Brussels to discuss this issue, to go back to the basic idea, what is Europe and what is our common heritage. And to find a way for expressing everyone’s cultural presence.

- So it’s symbolic that the Cyrillic alphabet would appear on the Euro notes…

- I wouldn’t call it only symbolic. It’s a world known fact that the Cyrillic alphabet enters the European Union, since all the European legislation has been translated in Bulgarian, including your Accession Treaty and Bulgarian language and Cyrillic alphabet are used now on a daily basis in Brussels.

- In Brussels, in the beginning of our accession process, I noticed that the Commission officials were very curious about the opinion of their Greek colleagues about Bulgaria. They wanted to know the opinion of Athens before they could decide, maybe because it is assumed that the neighbours know better…

- Your neighbours sometimes know you better than you know yourself. And a good neighbour knows you even better. Brussels was not curious to know what Athens thought about Bulgaria, because I understand that our positions and our political thrust were already very well known. But you are right, I believe that we have been one of the key players with respect to Bulgaria’s and Romania’s interest in the European Union.

- Doesn’t Greece draw the greatest advantage from Bulgaria’s accession, be it for having a terrestrial frontier with the rest of the Union? Having said this, Greece never had an insular mentality…

- Having now common borders with the EU is now a new situation for us. It is extremely welcome. We are working very closely with the Bulgarian authorities to make sure that by the 1st of January everything will be put correctly into place so that the Bulgarian and Romanian citizens transit the borders along with other EU citizens. The regime will be alleviated, ID cards will be used instead of passports, and there is an effort to normalize the regime with respect to car insurance. That’s something important for everyday business. With respect to what you called insular mentality, a lot happens in the minds of each one of us. Although geographically we were far away from mainland Europe, this does not mean that we did not feel as members of the European Union. There have already been several Greek presidencies of the EU and we have been doing our job in Brussels, Athens and several other capitals.

- I remember the Summit of the Greek Presidency in Halkidiki in June 2003. This was the occasion for launching an ambitious program for the Western Balkans. Today there is a report from the Commission not quite encouraging for the same region. How would you comment?

- It is not only Greece’s priority, but the EU priority, including Bulgaria, that the European Constitution should be dealt with success in the future. And it is correct and logical that we think about deepening of the Union and acquiring the possibility for a common approach in many fields, especially in foreign policy and defence. The other pillar pertains to the Western Balkans. We are working along with our partners including Bulgaria in order to create a mechanism in order to prepare the Western Balkans accurately to become members of the EU at a later stage. Nobody can say when this stage will start.

- The success of Bulgaria could contribute for shortening the timeframe?

- I should think so and in any case I allude to the declarations by Bulgarian members of the Government made recently that one of the main goals of Bulgaria will be a more active role in respect to the Western Balkans.

- Do you think it’s important for the Balkan countries to do more as an effort to improve the regional and national image, and also to avoid negative stereotypes?

- Stereotypes are always negative. When you adhere to stereotypes, it means that you are not able to go ahead. As far as the public image of Bulgaria in Europe is concerned, I cannot say it is negative. Had it be negative, then why would Bulgaria be joining the European Union? The image of your country is not negative and the efforts of your country are highly appreciated in the EU. This also transpires in the report of the European Commission.

- Maybe Greece is more optimistic than others? I’ve seen some publications in British tabloids lately…

- This is a joint venture. Greece has certainly to gain from Bulgaria becoming member of the EU. Bulgaria is already gaining in terms of Greek capital being invested in the last 15-20 years. It’s an established relation. We can only do better. If you are referring to the British tabloids, one has to see the parameters of the internal politics as well. Maybe Bulgaria too doesn’t know Great Britain very well.

- January 1st is getting near. How about celebrating together, perhaps at the common border?

- There are many suggestions from Bulgaria that the Embassy is conveying to Athens and we are waiting for the reaction. We will certainly celebrate Bulgaria’s accession. But what is more important is that we celebrate it every day. Because this is going to be an ongoing relation. Certainly the 1st January is an important date. But what is more important is the sustainable effort that follows.