/ world today news/ In the days surrounding the tragedies in the home for the elderly in the village of Royak and on the Struma highway, we lost respected diplomats of different generations, rank and format, Ivan Stanchov and Rumen Sabev, Minister Plenipotentiary.
Similarities: both were light-eyed, honorable patriots, polyglots.
As an ordinary diplomat, Rumen had professional and linguistic training and mandates abroad mainly in Asia – in Japan, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Libya and Malta, and on “Zhendov 2” he reached the position of head of department in the “Asia, Australia and Oceania” directorate. . He also had gifts in art and culture, was a poet and translator from the Japanese language. Rumen also prepared several exhibitions where he presented his oil paintings, graphics and sculptures (small plastic) to the public. Colleagues liked to joke that he is the best poet (along with the diploma, also “Asian regionalist” + poet Krasen Himirski), and sculptor among the diplomats. A few years ago, Rumen Sabev published his third collection of poems – this time with the Japanese pentagram “tanka”. He was also interested in trachology, he tried to open a Chinese restaurant.
Ivan Stanchov (we used to call him sovski in his absence predominantly bye John) was an original phenomenon in the Bulgarian diplomatic service in the 90s of m.v. Broad-minded, non-official, citizen of Europe and the world. Third generation diplomat, blue aristocracy for Bulgarian conditions. In 1946, his family emigrated to the USA, since 1971 he lived in Great Britain. In 1991-94 he was the ambassador of Bulgaria in London. He was my boss as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the caretaker government of Reneta Injova (17.10.1994 – 25.01.1995).
At that time, I was the head of the “Eastern Europe and CIS countries” department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And on December 8-12, 1994, I was included, with Minister Stanchov, in the delegation accompanying President Zhelev during his official visits to Ukraine and Moldova. In Kyiv, during the official welcome, we were deeply impressed by the exceptional melodiousness of the Ukrainian national anthem.
I remember that then at the separate meeting of Ivan Stanchov with his Ukrainian counterpart Gennady Yosipovich Udovenko there was a problem with the translator from Ukrainian to Russian languages. It was the first time I had to translate for a Bulgarian minister into Russian, even though Mr. John knew the main Western European languages. On the way to Chisinau, over a glass of whiskey on the plane, the minister probed me about whether it was time to transfer the VG 4 (Visegrad Four) countries Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary to the management of Western Europe. I expressed the opinion that we should wait, lest they become less important in the larger government. And let’s not underestimate ourselves in advance. By John had no logical arguments other than the mood among the Brussels administration of the then EC. I expressed the thesis that the European Commissioners are pursuing their European politics and interests, we are pursuing ours. We had more work than WG 4 on European integration, but at least in the “IE and SOND” administration, according to this criterion, the “four” remain the “white countries”.
The duty minister was a fine man and agreed.
He was the first foreign minister to organize a Viennese ball-type Christmas ball in the Ministry building. He did not deal with political dismissals and appointments either. He was an adviser to our presidents twice. It was rumored that
in the framework of his preparation for the ambassadorship in London, towards the end he asked a question – as a businessman until recently – whether he would receive a salary as the Bulgarian ambassador. After hearing her monthly amount, he asked clarifyingly whether it was a one-day fee that “could save the state”.
After the publication of the book and the appearance of the most successful Bulgarian film “Mission London”, comments began about the prototype of Ambassador Varadin, whose role was played by Julian Vergov in the film. Climate connoisseurs in our embassies in London unanimously decided that a prototype of Varadin in Alek Popov’s novel of the same name was the head of our diplomatic mission in the British capital during the period 1998-2005, known in the MFA as Kosma. With whom the author and screenwriter of the tape was the cultural attache.
Until 10-15 years ago, we met Mr. Stanchov with acquaintances on “Tsar Osvoboditel” Blvd., and he sometimes joined us for a cup of coffee.
Farewell, bye John and Roumene! You stay forever with Bulgaria and with us!
#Memory #Bai #John #diplomatpoetsculptor #Rumen #Sabev
