cover interview—bULGarian ambassador
Ambassador receiving Hindi Cinema Award 2018
Ambassador Doykov with H.E. Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister, of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
International Film Tourism Council regarding the top 300 Indian films shot abroad in 2015-2016, eight of them have been in Bulgaria. The movie “Dilwale” with leading actors Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, was filmed also in Sofia in 2015. This year Dharma Productions, in collaboration with Nu Boyana Studio in Bulgaria, has started the shooting of the film “Brahmastra” with the famous Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor. According to the producers this is the first time an Indian film will actually be shooting such an extensive indoor sequence in a foreign country. I wish all success to the team and have positive expectations as for the coming of the film. Is tourism from India to Bulgaria on the rise, and if so, which are the major tourist destinations? As Bollywood’s biggest stars were in Bulgaria for shooting, there are expectations for more Indian tourists to visit our country. In 2017 there was an increase of more than 20% of Indian arrivals in Bulgaria. The country if famous for its beaches and mountains but one can take advantage as well of the opportunities provided for by the spa, village, religious and other types of tourism being developed there. What kind of cultural exchanges have taken place between the two nations in recent times? Several are the main dimensions of our cultural exchanges such as art, dance performance, music, movies, literature, etc. Bulgarian folklore dance groups have visited India to perform on the occasion of the 60 th anniversary
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india empire | february 2018
of our diplomatic relations and to take part in international cultural festivals hosted by your country and in some cases even winning prizes. Annually Bulgarian movies are included in the programme of the European Union Film Festival in India with screenings taking place in a number of cities. There have been music performances and exhibitions like the “Bulgarian Folklore Motives”–a collection of paintings which was much appreciated by the Indian public. As for the literature, it is a little known fact that the play “Golemanov” by the Bulgarian author Stefan Kostov previously performed on a stage in India was translated in Bengali language and published two years back. Bulgaria is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2018. Please elaborate… Yes, from January 1 to June 30, 2018 Bulgaria is holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time since the country’s accession to the EU in 2007. The Presidency runs under the motto “United We Stand Strong” and among our main goals are the achievement of real results by following the principles of transparency and accountability, encouragement of the partnerships at all levels through unity and mutual cooperation and seeking consensus, compromise and understanding among our partners in the decision-making process. The Bulgarian presidency is set to work strongly in the field of youth and security taking into consideration the complex nature of the challenges the EU is currently facing. Four are the priorities of the Presidency, as follows: Future of Europe and Young People; Western Balkans; Security and Stability; and Digital Europe. Many are the events included in the calendar of the Presidency and among them one can mention a summit meeting, twelve informal councils, over twenty five high level events, and over two hundred political and expert level meetings with ❐ many of them taking place in Sofia.