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Greetings from Ambassador Mustafa
“The Rule of Law and Business Environment in Bulgaria” Conference
January 20, 2023
Sofia
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, Minister Zarkoff, my friends, the Italian and French ambassadors, the German ambassadors Charles, the German ambassadors Meyer and Zara, the Loken ambassadors, Matthew Murray and Olivier Marquette.
I am honored to be here on this stage today.
First of all, I would like to thank the American Chamber of Commerce for organizing today’s event. The fact that we are all here – this is unprecedented – come together to discuss the rule of law. It takes some time to absorb it. In addition to these organizations, we also work with partner organizations in Bulgaria. These organizations are the ones fighting for this issue. Members of the NGO community, members of the business community, and other diplomats. Thank you for continuing to prioritize this issue.
As you have already heard, the rule of law remains one of the most important issues today. we all know that. That’s why we are here. When I talk about the rule of law, I think of it as the principle of holding all people and institutions accountable to the law. This is a topic very close to my heart. Concluding his three-and-a-half years here in Bulgaria, looking back, I will first think of all the successes that Bulgaria has achieved during this period. With the COVID-19 crisis, the fact that we have successfully emerged from the pandemic has initiated the OECD accession process and set our relations with North Macedonia on a constructive path. Russian energy is happening at an alarming rate. So, as we celebrate her 120th anniversary with Bulgaria this year, we are proud that our relationship is stronger than ever. I am convinced that Bulgaria today is better positioned than ever for long-term success.
Unfortunately, however, one area that has seen less progress is that of the rule of law. And I say it completely honestly. The fact that we all came together today is a success, but for those of us who care so much about this issue, and with our partners, much more needs to be done. Today, although efforts by both Bulgaria’s international partners, the Bulgarian people, are not lacking, we have seen firsthand how difficult it is to reform institutions and eradicate deep-seated interests. I’ve heard from Olivier that one of my priorities is corruption. Before coming to Bulgaria, many Bulgarian officials said: Don’t use that C word – rot, it’s a non-starter. ’ It would ruin my relationship with the government. It will lead me to failure. But when I talk to Bulgarians and institutions, the first thing they say is their biggest concern is corruption. It’s a problem I’m struggling with.”
So, of course, we had to prioritize this. And that’s a priority for the Biden administration. Now, some of you may be asking why I care so much. why do i care so much I care because true friends, true partners, true allies work together to build each other. And when Bulgaria is strong, we are strong. And true partners are honest with each other. That’s why I want to say here. I am a true Bulgarian friend. And I always do. So I am pleased to be able to speak honestly with you today on some of the issues that continue to concern me. Everyone in the business community knows how high the stakes are. We are hearing, and I know other Chambers of Commerce are also hearing, from so many investors who see tremendous potential here in Bulgaria, but they say that legal disputes We fear that our rights will not be upheld if it occurs. They use institutions to harass, intimidate, and coerce their opponents. We hear about suitcase lawyers, backroom deals, and kickbacks. We hear of opaque procurement practices, coordinated bids, specifications, and favoritism in government contracts. We hear it from our company, so we know firsthand. In Bulgaria we have seen that corruption has fundamentally distorted the functioning of some institutions and their administrators, to the detriment of the Bulgarian people. I understand that this is a serious project. It is not easy. No country, not even mine, not even the United States, is immune from corruption. Countering it requires constant vigilance.
Well, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says that anti-corruption strategies basically boil down to two initiatives. Then track down the bad guys.
In terms of helping good people, Bulgaria has a lot to help and we have done this with our American partners. I know that And that means increasing our training and support for judicial and law enforcement officers. Also, in the last three years alone, in Bulgaria she is a Legal Advisor in charge of legal affairs, having delivered more than 50 capacity building programs. They have trained her more than 1,000 prosecutors, investigators, judges and legal experts. They send Bulgarian experts to the US on a professional exchange program. We have brought in new international and American NGOs to tackle anti-corruption issues at the national and local levels. Through USAID grants, training, and technical assistance, we also help build the capacity of local civil society to address these issues. And that is in addition to the excellent work that the America for Bulgaria Foundation has been doing on this issue.
We also support the work of investigative journalists. We are proud to announce that it was a journalist from Bulgaria who won the State Department’s prestigious Anti-Corruption Champion Award in 2021. We cover the rule of law at nearly every meeting. We work with Bulgarian officials and are always looking for allies at all levels of government. Again, I want to be clear. We believe that the overwhelming majority of Bulgarian law enforcement officers, prosecutors, investigators, judges, parliamentarians and civil servants are good and honest people who, like us, are drawn to public service. believe. help. Unfortunately, the challenge is that minorities have created a system for enriching the oligarchic class and acquiring national resources. I know it personally because we work with our businesses to combat this. And discourage those who want to fight for their country. It’s really painful to watch.
Members of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies have made valiant efforts to investigate and prosecute corruption, but have been criticized for terminating investigations or transferring them to other offices when they get too close to certain lines. , we often hear talk of indefinite delays. These civil servants are denied promotions, transferred to faraway towns, and fired. I’m not telling you what you don’t know. I’m just telling you the truth as your friend, so all of us will focus on this.
Let me give you an example. In the past few weeks, corruption investigations in Varna and Shumen have been terminated or transferred without public disclosure of the legal basis. I knew? This is just one example from the past few weeks. We are witnessing cases that have been stalled for years in pretrial proceedings and trials, some of which have not even reached that stage. So this is why we move on to the second effort of tracking down the bad guys as we say. And to bring about lasting change, the price of corruption must increase.
As the U.S. government, we have taken several steps to make it more difficult for corrupt actors to exploit the U.S. financial system to fuel corruption and confiscate criminal proceeds. Most people already know this, but during my tenure here, I designated 3 Bulgarians under the Global Magnitsky Program and restricted the visas of all 6 Bulgarians for corruption. bottom.
I am proud of these actions. We stand by those designations. Not a single person has been publicly accused of corruption. Not a single person has been convicted in Bulgaria. Most have not been disciplined or removed from their positions.
We will continue to use the tools that act as catalysts as your partners, but we all know that change must come from within. Bulgarian politics, in the words of the Justice Minister Houses show courage and will, citizens demand accountability from government. Again, this is why events like today are so important. The Bulgarian business community has great influence in fostering public debate, formulating policies and proposing actionable reforms to improve the business environment. We all need to unite and unite.
You know I’m an optimist – the American way, the American optimism. We remain hopeful because the fact that we are coming together means there is some progress. People of Bulgaria say: The European Parliament has introduced a judicial reform bill related to the European Recovery and Resilience Plan. And this law responds to specific recommendations from European institutions, which I am sure my European colleagues will also address. I think it’s time to show a little political will to pass this law. Of course, if you pass, you should implement it fully, not just selectively. That includes the reform of the Attorney General’s office proposed by the Europeans. I think it’s time to work on these reforms. We are confident that the next few years will see forward momentum in improving procurement practices, building robust investment review mechanisms, and strengthening intellectual property protection. And I am optimistic that steps will be taken to reduce impunity for those who abuse state resources.
I encourage you to continue to advocate for these and other reforms to hold your leaders to the same high standards that we try to do in the United States.
I believe that your collective efforts will continue to lead Bulgaria in a better direction. Again, I am proud to be your partner and friend in all of this.
I wish you all the best in your future endeavours, and look forward to working with you in the short time that is left here.
thank you!
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