Bulgaria has new role in NATO and scheduled accession to the European Union

A report in Bulgaria's English-language newspaper Sofia Echo is based on an interview with the consul-general of Sudan in Bulgaria and gives a glimpse into the way Sudanese officials operate. Note, the report says:

The emphasis of his task in Sofia, which he took up eight months ago, is on the key elements of the positive present and future of his country.

Between the 1950s and 1990s, 6000 students from Sudan were educated in Bulgaria. "I always tell my Bulgarian friends, you have a very big lobby in Khartoum," he smiles.

And he says he believes that the international community must fulfil its promise to bring the peace process in Sudan to fruition.

The report points out that because of Bulgaria's new role in NATO, and its scheduled accession to the European Union, it means the country is orientated to its Western partners, and the enormous potential market of Sudan is not uppermost in official minds.
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BULGARIA TO REOPEN EMBASSY IN SUDAN

According to a report in the Sudan Tribune Jan 7, 2005, Sudan opened a general consulate in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1999 and Bulgaria announced yesterday its decision to reopen its embassy in Khartoum but doesn't say when. It could be soon or years from now.

The report says recent years have seen an upsurge in trade and economic relations between Sudan and Bulgaria and that both countries see opportunities for participation of its companies in large-scale projects in Sudan, including design and construction of roads, bridges, water dams, irrigation infrastructure and power plants. Apparently, the absence of a Bulgarian embassy in Sudan creates a host of problems for Bulgarian companies and individuals with business in Sudan.

The Bulgarian Embassy in Khartoum shut down in 1990 and despite an agreement in 1992, Bulgaria took no action to reopen because of instability in Sudan and the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council in 1995.

Note, on googling for info on Sudan-Bulgaria relations, I found an article entitled Special Weapons Agencies - Sudan dated a few years ago outlining a special project in Sudan receiving "technical assistance on weapons from Russia and Bulgaria".