I was happy an honored to sign the letter to the representatives of the 15 member states of the UN Security Council.
Sofia, August 15 – 2016
Your Excellences,
We afford the opportunity to address you with this open letter in our capacity of representatives of the Bulgarian intellectual community, as to express our unreserved support to Mrs. Irina Bokova, General Director of UNESCO and official Bulgarian candidate for General Secretary of the United Nations Organization.
As well-known, the candidacy of Mrs. Irina Bokova is among the leading for deliberation in the Security Council, and with you ladies and gentlemen, ambassadors, we deposit our full confidence for objectivity and partiality in the highly responsible vote and also considering the particular responsibility you bear for the peace and security on the planet.
Bulgaria is a country from the East European group and one of the oldest UN Member States in this group. Historically, our country for ages has been on the crossroads between the West and the East, between the North and the South, and this has left its imprint on its history. “Unity makes the power” is the Bulgarian motto on the state emblem, inscribed on the façade of the National Assembly, historical pillar of our statehood, and to be known from each worthy Bulgarian, this legacy was bequeathed to us from the dawn of the Bulgarian state 13 centuries ago.
Worthy for respect and admiration is the activity of Mrs. Irina Bokova, as a Director General of UNESCO. UNESCO today is the moral conscience of humanity in the combat for preservation of the historical memory of the human millennial civilization, for thwarting the criminal cultural cleansing and the attempts for annihilation of the cultural achievements and values in the global treasury – in Palmyra – Syria, Timbuktu – Mali, the museums in Bagdad and etc., because humanity without history and culture would be like a tree without roots.
We dare to convey our opinion to you, that in this crucial political time in the world a time has come for a woman from Eastern Europe to head the United Nations and she is namely Mrs. Irina Bokova, who with her diplomatic governance, consensual decisions and touch is able to combine the grace of silk with the hardness of steel. The UNO has to regain that authority and power, impinged by political and economic concussions within the recent 20 years, for the survival of the United Nations – the guardian of peace and security in the new global architecture.
Our community is strongly concerned and saddened by some ignominious actions and discrediting actions, derogatory to the prestige and the good name of Bulgaria and of some Bulgarian citizens. The intellectual community is the backbone of every society and the motor for its development, a benchmark for its maturity. That is why we insist on stating that the Bulgarian people conveyed its standpoint most responsively on the candidacy of Mrs. Irina Bokova and its and our vote is “Vox populis, vox Dei”.
We decided to address to you ladies and gentlemen, envoys, this letter and openly, repeatedly and with a high voice to state our unreserved support to Mrs. Irina Bokova. In the new history of the 20 century, the Bulgarian Presidents Georgi Parvanov /2002-2012/ and Rosen Plevneliev, /2012– now/, the Prime Ministers – Simeon Saxkoburgotski, Sergei Stanishev, Plamen Oresharski and Boyko Borisov, the 43-d National Assembly with Chairman Mrs. Tzetska Tzacheva, officially have declared the support of all authorities of Bulgaria for the Bulgarian candidate, who is of proven necessary qualities for the highest position in the United Nations Organization, the position of the General Secretary.
The scientific, diplomatic, cultural and business circles in Bulgaria also openly expressed their standpoint through the media in support of Mrs. Irina Bokova: The Bulgarian Diplomatic Society and the National Association for International Relations, all creative unions in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Association of the Industrial Capital in Bulgaria, The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Bulgarian Association of Entrepreneurial Women and etc. A large number of positive reviews and articles of authoritative political researchers, published in national and international media, have expressed positively for the virtues of Mrs. Irina Bokova, linked with the activity of the UNO.
Your Excellences,
The world today is facing a serious ordeal for the preservation of security, stability and peace on the planet 70 years after the devastating Second World War. We are convinced and believe that Mrs. Irina Bokova is the personality who knows the complex diplomatic international and religious conflicts in the world, as well as the complicated interrelations and situations in the Balkans, not occasionally known in the international terminology as “mini-world” of the global policy. In this environment, at the crossroads of East-West and North-South, Mrs. Irina Bokova has formed itself and enhanced herself to respect the cultural and religious diversity, acquiring the abilities to find the right approach in the search of solutions in the complex conflicts, often intertwined with historical burdening, ideological confrontation and religious intolerance.
Your Excellences,
At the end of the letter we want to wish to the UN Security Council to be most susceptible to the particular responsibilities in the maintenance of the international peace and security and for the current members to demonstrate wisdom, firmness in their work and to be worthy of the legacies of the founders of the United Nations Organization.
Respectfully,
ACAD. ANTON DONTCHEV – WRITER, NOVELIST
ACAD. STEFAN VODENICHAROV – MINISTRY OF CULTURE – 2013, PRESIDENT OF THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, 2013
ACAD. SVETLIN RUSEV – ARTIST, MEMBER OF THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
ACAD. GEORGI MARKOV – HISTORIAN, MEMBER OF THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
ACAD. PLAMEN KARTALOV – FILM DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR OF SOFIA OPERA AND BALLET, MEMBER OF THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
ACAD. LJUDMIL STAYKOV – MOVIE, FILM AND STAGE DIRECTOR, MEMBER OF THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
ACAD. KONSTANTIN DIMITROV KOSEV – HISTORIAN, DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF , THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, MINISTER OF POPULAR EDUCATION AND DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER1990, HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE VII GREAT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (19901991)
ACAD. BLAGOVEST SENDOV – MATHEMATICIAN, DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON AND POLITICIAN, CHAIRPERSON OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF BULGARIA 19952004, AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN 20042009
ACAD. KIRIL BOYANOV – ENGINEER INFORMATICIAN. OPERATING SYSTEMS, INFORMATION SYSTEMS (BUSINESS INFORMATICS), COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS (NETWORKS)
IVAN YORDANOV GRANITSKI – WRITER, PUBLISHER
PROF. MARIA GEORGIEVA CHAVDAROVA – POLITICAL SCIENTIST
PROF. PHD. VASSIL KOSTADINOV PRODANOV – PHILOSOPHER, CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
ANGEL WAGENSTEIN – BULGARIAN FILM DIRECTOR AND WIRITER, HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF VII GREAT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (19901991)
VELIN GEORGIEV – WIRITER, POET
RUSI IVANOV STATKOV – ECONOMIST AND FORMER DEPUTY OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
PROF. DINKO GEORGIEV DINKOV – UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL AND WORLD ECONOMY, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
DRAGOMIR SHOPOV – WIRITER, POET AND FORMER DEPUTY OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (19952001)
PROF. ANATOLI KRASTEV – CELLIST AND PEDAGOGUE, FORMER VICERECTOR OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC „PANCHO VLADIGEROV“
VLADIMIR ZAREV – WIRITER, NOVELIST, EDITOR OF THE QUARTERLY LITERARY MAGAZINE SAVREMENNIK (CONTEMPORARY)
LUCHEZAR ELENKOV – WIRITER, POET
VALENTIN GEORGIEV – JOURNALIST, NEWSPAPER „DUMA“
VOLODYA MILANOV – HISTORIAN, BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
PROF. ALEXANDER YANKOV – DIPLOMAT, AMBASSADOR, HE HAS BEEN A PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BULGARIA IN THE UNITED NATIONS IN NEW YORK 1976 – 1980, MEMBER OF UN COMMISSION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN GENEVA 1977 1996, MEMBER OF THE PERMANENT COURT OF ARBITRATION IN HAGUE (19711988). SINCE OCTOBER 1996 PROFESSOR YANKOV IS A MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE LAW OF THE SEA IN HAMBURG.
MAYA TODOROVA – JOURNALIST
PROF. VASIL ZHELYAZKOV MRUCHKOV – JURIST, PROFESOR OF INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LABOUR LAW AND SOCIAL RIGHTS, PROSECUTOR GENERAL 1987 – 1989
MAYA VAPSAROVA – FILM DIRECTOR, WIRITER, JOURNALIST
YORDAN MILEV – WIRITER, POET, TRANSLATOR OF ORIENTAL LANGUAGES, ORIENTALIST
MAXIM BEHAR – PRESIDENT OF ICCO – THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANCY ORGANISATION, CHAIRMAN, CZECH REPUBLIC EN HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES, CEO & CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD EN M3 COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, INC.
JORGETA PEHLIVANOVA – DIPLOMAT, LATIN AMERICA EXPERT, MULTILATERAL AND BILATERAL DIPLOMACY, INTERNATIONAL OBSERVER AND ANALITIC.
PROF. LYDIA OSHAVKOVA – FLUTE PROFESSOR AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC IN SOFIA, DISTINGUISHED SOLOIST ON BULGARIA’S AND THE WORLD’S STAGES, MEMBER OF ITALIAN FLUTE ACADEMY FLUTISSIMO”, SOFIA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (19661994).
MARIA B. NOMOVA – PROFESSOR IN NATIONAL MISICAL SCHOOL
TOMA TOMOV – JOURNALIST, PUBLICIST, POLITICAL OBSERVE, AUTHOR AND COMMENTATOR OF THE TV PROGRAMM “NABLIOUDATEL” (OBSERVER)
KOLIU GEORGIEV – WIRITER, EMERITE OF BULGARIAN CULTURE
AMBASSADOR LUBOMIR KUCHUKOV – FORMER DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (20052009), CHAIRMAN OF INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
GEORGI KARASLAVOV – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, EXPERT IN THE BALKANS
PROF. STEFAN DANAILOV – ACTOR AND FORMER MINISTER OF CULTURE OF BULGARIA (AUGUST 2005 – JULY 2009), DEPUTY OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
PROF. OGNYAN GERDZHIKOV – JURIST AND POLITICIAN, DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, 20012005
PROF. JENNY ZAHARIEVA – PIANISTE CONCERTISTE, OFFICIER DANS L’ORDRE DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES(FRANCE), AMBASSADEUR DE LA CULTURE BULGARE EN FRANCE
PROF. ANASTAS SLAWTSCHEV – PIANIST, RECTOR OF ACADEMY OF MUSIC, DANCE AND FINE ARTS – PLOVDIV, MEMBER OF EUROPEAN ASOSIATION OF MUSICALS ACADEMYES, HONORABLE MEMBER OF JAPAN PIANO TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (JPTA) FROM 1983, MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL PIANO DUO ASSOCIATION IN JAPAN (FROM1983) AND RUSSIA (FROM 1991)
GEORGI GOTEV – JOURNALIST, SENIOR EDITOR AT EURACTIV.COM
PROF. ANTON PARVANOV – PROFESOR, EXPERT IN BALKAN REGION, UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL AND WORLD ECONOMY, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
ANDREY RAYCHEV – SOCIOLOGIST
MATEY SHOPKING – WIRITER, POET, EMERITE OF BULGARIAN CULTURE
PHD. LUBOMIR PETROV PETROV – PHD OF PHILOSOPHY LETTERS, DIPLOMAT
PROF. DIMO DIMOV – PROFESSOR AT THE INSTRUMENTAL FACULTY OF THE STATE ACADEMY OF MUSIC, MINISTRY OF CULTURE 19901991, FORMER DEPUTY OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 19972001, AMBASSADOR IN DENMARK 20012005
SIMEON TANEV NIKOLOV – DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF SECURITY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
DORA IVANOVA BONEVA – PAINTING, MEMBER OF EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS
LYUBOMIR LEVCHEV – WIRITER, POET, MEMBER OF EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF LITERATURE AND OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF POETRY LUXEMBOURG
PROF. CHRISTINA ANGELAKOVA – MEZZO SOPRANO, SOLOIST OF THE NATIONAL OPERA SINCE 1976, FIRST WOMAN DIRECTOR OF SOFIA’S NATIONAL OPERA AND BALLET THEATRE. 2004 CHRISTINA ANGELAKOVA WAS MADE A COMMENDATORE (COMMANDER) OF THE ORDER OF THE STAR OFITALIAN SOLIDARITY FOR HER OUTSTANDING SERVICES TO THE CULTURE OF ITALY.
RADOSLAV DEYANOV – DIPLOMAT, INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER/ CONSULTANT, PHD, UN CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
BOYAN ANGELOV – WIRITER, POET, EDITOR “BULGARIAN WIRITER”, CHAIRMAN OF UNION OF BULGARIAN WIRITERS
IVAN GARVALOV – DIPLOMAT, CHAIRMAN OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATIONS (WFUNA) IN BULGARIA
SILVIA TSVETKOVA TOMEVA – PRIMA BALLERINA, CHOREOGRAPHY, CHAIRMAN OF STATE OPERA IN ROUSE, BULGARIA
PETAR KIROV KARAANGOV – WIRITER, POET, FORMER CHAIRMAN „SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS NATIONAL LIBRARY 19831989“
VALERIA VELEVA – JOURNALIST, EDITORINCHIEFOF “EPICENTER”
MIHAILINA DIMITROVA – JOURNALIST, CHAIRMAN OF „INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGY AND RESEARCH“
RAYKO NIKOLOV – DIPLOMAT, AMABASSADOR IN BELGRADE, ROME AND UN IN GENEVA.
LIDYA NIKOLOVA – WIRITER