Bulgarians are living on all continents, but news of their achievements and work for the benefit of Bulgaria rarely becomes focus of public attention. One of these Bulgarians is the Honorary Consul of Bulgaria to Namibia – Mihail Mihaylov. Some of you would probably be wondering what kind of relations Bulgaria has with the African country. The answer may surprise you:

"In Namibia, people know a lot about Bulgaria, as our country was a big supporter in the liberation struggle of this people against the colonial apartheid regime until 1990," Mihaylov says.

"Every time when a Bulgarian delegation pays a visit to the country, they express their gratitude for this support. In addition, a large number of Namibians who graduated from Bulgarian universities before 1989 are now holding positions in Namibia's government and they also express their fondness of Bulgaria."

Another curious fact in the history of the young country is related to one of the documents by which Namibia declared independence in 1990 from the Republic of South Africa.

“The first protocol was written in Bulgarian, as the majority of those involved in the preparation of this document graduated from Bulgaria. They were people from different tribes speaking different languages, but at that moment the Bulgarian language united them,” the Honorary Consul says.

Last November, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva made an official visit to Namibia. Mihail Mihaylov described the visit as very successful. "Although at this stage Bulgaria does not have very intensive relations with Namibia, this visit has laid the groundwork, so that they can develop fast in the future," Mihaylov said. According to him, the largest turnover in Bulgarian-Namibian economic relations is formed by the export of processed Bulgarian copper ore. "Namibia's remoteness from Bulgaria and its small population of nearly 2 million people defines a low trade. But in other areas, such as culture and education, there are opportunities for fruitful cooperation and we will use them in the future." Two new agreements have been signed in this regard:

"The agreement in the sphere of culture provides for annual visits by Namibian artists to Bulgaria and vice versa. There will be thematic performances, exhibitions, and film screenings. The education agreement provides that Namibian students would be accepted to study in Bulgaria."

In addition to his diplomatic work, Mihail Mihaylov is the author of several books. His novel “Bushman Curse”, telling the story of an African tribe, has brought him the prestigious Prize for African Writing and the book is still a best-seller in Namibia.

In another book, entitled "Hunting and Love" Mihaylov focuses on his hunting adventures. It may sound paradoxical, but hunting can actually be an expression of love for nature and animals, he says.

Although a hobby, writing is an important part of Mr. Mihaylov’s life. "I am interested in serious human-centered topics. In the process of writing, I enjoy recreating them, living them as I write and dream."

English: Alexander Markov