“I am charmed by the blend of cultures, by the fact that this is a country where different worlds intertwine. In the centre of Sofia I see Christian Orthodox churches, a Catholic church, a mosque, a synagogue next to the political institutions. These are buildings that convey a vivid picture of all cultural influences through the years. That is fascinating and I think it is one of Bulgaria’s biggest treasures.”

Those were the first impressions of Bulgaria of the Ambassador of Switzerland to Bulgaria, H.E. Muriel Berset Kohen. We talk to her about what the two countries have in common, and about Bulgarian-Swiss cooperation which goes back many years. Switzerland is currently the 8^th biggest investor in Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian-Swiss cooperation programme finances priority spheres in Bulgaria like education, social assistance, support for civil society, public security, the environment etc. The total cost of the projects is 76 million CHF and this is the way that Switzerland is contributing to reducing economic and social differences between the new and the old members of the EU. One of these projects is DOMINO, the Bulgarian abbreviation for “Dual education for the modern needs and requirements of society” which combines Swiss experience with the good traditions of Bulgarian vocational training. In the words of Ambassador Berset Kohen education is a major factor of economic growth, while in Bulgaria more and more educated young people have been leaving the country:

“One of the big problems is the lack of a skilled workforce,” says Ambassador Muriel Berset Kohen. “That is why it is so important that the people who remain are educated and trained professionally, that they are able to be a party to the country’s economic development. Because the demographic crisis is halting the development of Bulgaria.”

One of the ways to solve this problem is the social integration of minorities through high-standard preschool and primary education. 

“There is no way a country can develop economically if it leaves part of its population uneducated, and this part keeps increasing at a rapid pace. That is why it is in the interest of us all that they have access to education from early childhood. We have a similar situation in Switzerland where foreigners account for a quarter of the population. There are many children who do not speak French or German at home and if they don’t go to kindergarten where they can learn the language of the country, they have problems at school. That is why I am so glad Switzerland is helping Bulgaria in this regard with the ZOV Programme – Healthcare and Education for All.”

They say Bulgaria resembles Switzerland…

“We have one thing in common and that is nature. Switzerland is a small country and three-quarters of its territory is mountainous. A lot of mountains and valleys, and each with its own specifics and traditions. It is the same thing here. The Swiss are very fond of their nature and its protection, because they realize the country is small and they need to preserve it. The beautiful nature is what we have in common. Our cooperation programmes include projects for protecting and caring for the environment. Nature has to be protected, that is why it is important to find the common ground between economic growth, infrastructure development and nature protection. In our day, that is a big challenge everywhere you look because the planet is shrinking.”

Switzerland is one of the countries with the most developed winter sports and we often give it as an example when we talk about investment projects in Bulgaria’s winter resorts:

“40 or 50 years ago we were not so sensitive to environmental protection. We built things that we would now do differently,” explains Ambassador Berset Kohen. “We don’t want to construct big buildings in the mountain any more. People going on a ski vacation do not want to find themselves in an urban environment again. They have that throughput the year, what they want is a holiday in a place that is protected, a place with clean air, in small mountain villas. Sentiments have changed, that is why I think that the most precious thing in Bulgaria now is its unspoilt nature. Pristine nature, the wealth of biodiversity that is not to be seen anywhere else and that is what attracts tourists from abroad. That is the advantage you have over other tourist destinations.”

English version: Milena Daynova