Tanya Mihaylova: Diplomacy and the tools of diplomacy cannot be replaced by anything else

If political messages are clear enough, Bulgarian diplomacy will be influential. This is what Tanya Mihailova, Director of the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute, said in an interview with BGNES.

The Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute is celebrating its 20th anniversary. On this occasion and to find out what are the priorities it is currently implementing and what achievements and successes it can boast of, we talk to its director Tanya Mihaylova. She has been at the helm of the institute since 2012 - precisely the years in which a lot of work had to be done, 5 years after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.

"The very existence of the diplomatic institute for 20 years is an example of success, so how a modern, modern administration can develop. This is because in Bulgaria's modern history there has never been a diplomatic institute," Mihailova said.

She recalled that it was established at a very important moment for us, when Bulgaria was negotiating for membership in NATO and the European Union and it was very important for the administration and diplomacy to prepare for that reality, in which we will already be a member of these two important organisations and societies. "So the diplomatic institute, starting from scratch, actually applying some modern standards, has been successful so that it has been in existence for so many years now and its trainings continue to be in demand," Tanya Mihailova said.

She also touched upon the role of the Diplomatic Institute in the region in providing the Bulgarian experience for EU membership.

"The Diplomatic Institute in the Balkans has played in the last 20 years a quite intensive role through the so-called training for young diplomats from the region. We realised that when we were in membership negotiations, Bulgaria did its homework. We would very much like the countries that want to be EU members to do the same as we did," Tania Mihailova said.

For this reason, for many years the Diplomatic Institute has been organising seminars to share Bulgaria's EU accession experience.

"There is no country in the Western Balkans where we have not done similar trainings. In the last few years the intensity has slightly decreased, but I believe we will go back there again. Diplomacy and the tools of diplomacy cannot be replaced by anything else," Mihailova stressed. /BGNES