Post on 07-Mar-2023
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Development Policy as An Opportunity for Bulgaria's Foreign
Policy
Alexandra Kostova December 2015
By its accession to the EU Bulgaria turned from a „recipient” into a „donor” of
development aid, which is connected with a number of political and financial
commitments, but also with opportunities for our country. Few Bulgarian citizens,
including politicians and those who work in the public administration, know that
after 2010 Bulgaria has reported EUR 31- 37 million annually spent for an official
assistance to the developing countries, provided by bilateral, regional and
multilateral instruments and the European budget. The Bulgarian Development
Policy is an integral part of this country's foreign policy and the activities related to
the shaping and implementation of the latter are guided by the minister of foreign
affairsi. If the development aid is considered an opportunity not only for the
assistance to the poorer and suffering peoples, but also for strengthening the
positions, ties and the prestige of our country at the international stage, the foreign
policy of Bulgaria might take advantage of an instrument, which is significant both
in political and financial aspects.
The use of the Development Policy as an instrument for enhancement of the
efficiency of the Bulgarian foreign policy implies an optimal use of the
opportunities provided by the latter so as to achieve a maximum result for both
countries – for the recipient and for Bulgaria and the interests and priorities
thereof. In this context the resources related to the Development Policy might be
used more and more purposefully. Among the variety of considerations in this
respect, the following may be highlighted:
1. The Development Policy implies an investment of considerable funds from the
national budget on an annual basis, and the responsibilities of our country for
financing the development are long-term and will become more and more
immense. Over the next years and decades this policy will be supported by
more and more instruments, which should also have an effect on the role of this
policy in the external relations of our country. The „instrumentalisation” of the
development cooperation to the benefit of the Bulgarian diplomacy is
inevitable, but the sooner this process starts the better the ensuing foreign
policy and economic benefits will be.
2. The efficiency of the official development aid helps to overcome poverty and
stimulates the sustainable development of the significant number of poor and
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unstable states. Being a EU external border, Bulgaria is surrounded by
developing countries, while others are in the immediate proximity thereof. The
investments in the stability and prosperity of the neighbours are directly
connected with the welfare and security of our own country (regarding
immigration, terrorism, etc.).
3. If strategically used, Development Policy may also contribute in regard to
home affairs. Providing technical assistance, for example, or participating in
international projects has also a positive effect on the respective Bulgarian
experts, organisations, practitioners and others in the form of additional
financial incentives, professional opportunities, extended partnerships and
strengthened institutional capacity. In this context some of the activities for the
implementation of the Development Policy may be considered aninvestment in
national human and administrative capital.
In spite of the contribution of the bilateral development assistance provided by
Bulgaria to the bilateral relations, the prestige and the positions of our country, the
percentage of this assistance is still quite low. Along with that, in compliance with
the principles for the as sistance efficiency, Bulgaria should confine its
development cooperation initiatives to up to three sectors of the country-recipient,
in which the activities of Bulgaria have a value added.
In this context, laying a particular stress or a priority on a certain thematic
dimension of the development cooperation would provide an opportunity for
„specialisation” of Bulgaria’s donor efforts aimed at achieving efficiency,
developing a particular capacity, using the comparative advantages, purposefully
contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Goals for Development and the
post-2015 successor thereof and increasing the percentage of the bilateral
assistance, which is somewhat more visible. Thus Bulgaria could better fulfill its
commitments in terms of quality and quantity of the assistance and, along with
that, contribute to the efficiency of Bulgarian diplomacy.
The many years' experience and traditions in the development cooperation of
most of the donors in and outside the EU shows that it is not easy to identify the
common point between: 1) the actual needs of a partner; 2) the efficiency of the
assistance; and 3) the opportunities, priorities and the experience of Bulgaria.
Our country is still on its way of accumulating experience in the development
cooperation and the assistance provided by Bulgaria, though considerable with a
view to the national budget, is small in amount as compared to that provided by
other donors. Therefore the realm of action with a view to a possible thematic
focus in our Development Policy is comparatively narrow. However, culture is a
good opportunity for the strategic allocation of some resources of the
Bulgarian Development Policy, which will also contribute to the achievement
of some foreign policy priority objectives of Bulgaria, in particular –
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strengthening of the bilateral relations with significant partners and achievement of
global goals concerted at an international level (peace, prosperity, stability,
sustainable development, etc.).
Why do the cultural dimensions of the Bulgarian Development Policy provide
a number of opportunities regarding our foreign policy?
Culture provides a number of opportunities for laying the foundations of a
bilateral cooperation on an equal footing as it is a sector, where the donors enter
comparatively smoothly. The availability of the already established fruitful
partnership in the cultural dimensions of development contributes to the
establishment of a partnership in other fields, where trust already gained is
required.
The implementation of the projects/initiatives for the cultural dimensions of
development does not require any considerable financial investment. The services
and goods offered in the field of culture generally need little investment, because
skills and materials already available with the public are used (the funds allocated
by Bulgaria for Development Policy are of a limited amount as compared to those
by other donors).
The arguments for the opportunities to enhance the cultural dimensions in
the Bulgarian policy are inter alia as follows:
• Culture may definitely be indicated as a policy, in which Bulgaria enjoys
some comparative advantages and opportunities as the relevant national experience
and expertise accumulated, including those of the transition period, are positive.
• According to many experts, Bulgaria occupies leading positions worldwide
as per number and variety of cultural and historical monuments, while in this
country there are many national, institutional, regional and municipal museums, art
galleries, thousands of public community centres and other cultural institutions at
national level.
• The Bulgarian history and culture have much in common with those of
many developing countries, especially those bordering the EU, so the relevance of
the partnership in the cultural dimensions of development is still more facilitated
and justified.
• Our country maintains close ties in the field of culture with a number of
developing countries, which are based on bilateral agreements, plans, etc.
• With regard to foreign policy, Bulgaria possesses the structures and human
resources necessary for the cultural cooperation with other countries (cultural
attaches to the Bulgarian embassies, institutes for culture, a Regional Centre for
Intangible Cultural Heritage, a State Institute for Culture, etc.).
• The partners seek assistance from our country in this field, which can be
proved by the strategic programmes for development aid agreed so far at a bilateral
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level, while most of them comprise as a priority the cultural heritage safeguarding
and the local cultural potential promotion.
• Culture may be considered a sector, in which the concentration or
European donors is not high, so Bulgaria could identify its field for action while
observing the principles for the assistance efficiency.
The national strategies of the developing countries often define culture as a
cornerstone of the economic growth thereof and of the efforts to overcome poverty,
which is taken into consideration in the design of the respective donor
programmes.
The efforts made at European level to achieve a concerted and systematic
inclusion of culture in the external relations and the contribution of each EU
Member State to the cultural dimension of the European Development Policy are
mutually complementary and contribute to the EU performance. Since 11th
September 2001 the EU has made more strenuous efforts to integrate culture and
the cultural dialogue in the interrelations with the rest of the world. After the
Lisbon Treaty entering into force and the ensuing institutional changes, on the
basis of a European Parliament resolutionii, the European Commission launched a
consultation for the purposeful inclusion of culture in the EU's external activities,
in particular in the Development Policy. The consultation process will produce
results within the frames of the European External Action Service led by Ms
Federica Mogherini.
Since culture and development are policies, in which the EU more or less
complements what is implemented at national level, each EU Member State
applies an individual approach regarding the objectives, activities, priorities and
the overall concept for the cultural dimension of development. While the European
Commission seems to focus its activity mainly on establishing cultural industries
and fighting against the illicit trafficking in cultural property, the Member States
aim mainly at supporting the artists, exchanging experience, assisting in the
intercultural dialogue, etc.
The European experience is rich and varied and it can be used with a view to the
opportunities provided by culture to the Bulgarian Development Policy. The
conclusion drawn on the basis of the analyses is that the successful strategies are
those in which culture is at least a component in the development of the relations
with third countries, and some donors even specify culture as a leading component
in the bilateral cooperation. Denmark has adopted an overall strategy entitled The
Right to Art and Culture within the frames of its Development Policy, where an
approach based on human rights is applied. The Dutch strategy for international
cultural policy entitled Art without Borders and the French international cultural
policy are good combinations of Development Policy and cultural diplomacy. The
cultural window of Spain's MDG Achievement Fund (MDG-F), established in 2006
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to the UN, has contributed to the establishment and renovation of a cultural
infrastructure serving millions of people, has increased the income of thousands of
entrepreneurs and has enhanced the capacity of thousands of cultural institutions
and civil servants from the developing worldiii
. The new donors in the EU (the
Member States having accessed the EU after 2004) make the link between culture
and development in the light of the democratic reforms by providing assistance for
the social and intercultural dialogue in the developing countries on the way to
transition.
For many donors the right to culture is a cornerstone in the process of
establishing modern and democratic societies, and these societies are in the basis of
the sustainable economic growth. In spite of the various approaches and practices,
an impression is made that the EU Member States include in their strategies or
approaches to the cultural dimensions of development a component dedicated to
cultural diplomacy and the potentials to enhance the capacity of their own creative
art sectors and cultural sectors – in the form of experience exchange and
enrichment through interaction with culture and the artists in the developing
countries. The programmes on culture and development are always in compliance
with the respective country's foreign policy priorities, either for the purposes of
cultural diplomacy and the extension of the foreign policy influence (most
distinctly expressed in the case of France, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal and the
Netherlands and comparatively slightly – in the case of Denmark and Sweden) or
for the promotion of the European democratic values among the developing
countries (most of the newly accessed EU Member States).
The realities in the Bulgarian Development Policy provide some opportunities
for a future more purposeful integration of culture in the activities of our country
as a donor:
A. Three of the four bilateral strategic development aid programmes adopted so
far, which Bulgaria negotiated in 2013 (those with Moldova, Georgia and
Vietnam), comprise the cultural heritage safeguarding and the local cultural
potential promotion as a priority. As per the established trend, these fields of
cooperation should be integrated also in the future strategic programmes,
which Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs will adopt. Ukraine, for
example, is eligible for such a bilateral programme.
B. Given the fields of cooperation included in the bilateral strategic
programmes adopted so far, culture could be logically included in the
priorities of the next middle-term programme for development
cooperation and humanitarian aid, whose launch will coincide with the
launch of the post-2015 international framework for development – a
successor of the Millennium Goals for Development. In harmony with
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thefuture global donors' efforts, culture may be considered in the light of the
efforts for the achievement of sustainable growth.
C. In times of financial restrictions the donors, including Bulgaria, aim at their
financial assistance to the developing countries being spent effectively.
Therefore our country's activity regarding the cultural dimensions of the
Development Policy would have value added only if the assistance is
provided purposefully and on the basis of a thorough analysis. The potentials
as regards the Balkans and the Black Sea Region in this respect were
investigated back in 2008 in a report requested by the State Institute for
Cultureiv. Present day investigations, including investigations in situ, have to
be performed.
D. On the basis of such analyses Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs could
initiate a process of elaboration of a strategy dedicated to culture, which shall
specify the framework of a focused provision of assistance for development –
priorities, actions, follow-up mechanisms, etc. Such a framework could be of
a wider scope, e.g. in the form of an „international cultural policy” (on the
basis of France and the Netherlands' experience) or to be shaped in a peculiar
Strategy for Culture and Development (as is the case with Denmark)
In 2008 the Council of Ministers enacted the establishment of a Funds-in-Trust
to UNESCO for participation in the international development cooperation, and in
2009 a Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in
South-Eastern Europe was established in Bulgaria under the auspices of UNESCO
– one of the five centres of this kind worldwide, whose scope of activities covers a
number of developing countries constituting a priority for Bulgaria, at that, not
only countries from South-Eastern Europe – Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Georgia. The activities
of the Centre are to be performed in the future as a part of our country's long-term
investment and commitments – inter alia making an essential contribution to the
achievement of UNESCO's strategic objectives. The availability of a strategy for
the cultural dimensions of the Development Policy would contribute to the
functional and expert promotion of the Centre in the region and the fulfillment of
the tasks thereof.
It should be highlighted that in 2012 Sofia hosted the 8th meeting of the
Ministers of Culture in South-Eastern Europe, where a Declaration on Intangible
Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development was adopted to highlight the
significance of culture (tangible and intangible cultural heritage, creative industries
and cultural infrastructure) for development and for the achievement of the
Millennium Goals for Development in the region at issuev. By the declaration the
ministers call for the integration of culture in the European policies and strategies
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for the development cooperation and bind themselves to establish a "new platform
for culture and development". In end-June 2014 the Culture and Development
Platform of the ministers of culture in this part of Europe held its annual meeting in
Macedonia, resulting in the adoption of a Regional Strategy for Cultural
Cooperation in South-Eastern Europevi. The priorities of the strategy inter alia
are as follows: use of the cultural heritage for the achievement of an inclusive
economic development and stable environment in the region at issue; support to
the creative work and the variety of cultural expressive forms aimed at social
cohesion and growth; safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage for the purposes
of social dialogue and inclusive growth, etc. A number of measures for the
fulfillment of the priorities were outlined to cover inter alia the incorporation of
culture in the national and regional plans and strategies for development.
The possible future elaboration of a strategy for the role of culture in the
Bulgarian Development Policy would be an ambitious, but a soundly justified by
the existing potentials undertaking. Such a strategy would allow Bulgaria's
specialisation as a donor in a particular sector and would be based on the existing
advantages in the respective field in the form of expertise, financial potential and
existing structures.
The approach for the elaboration of a strategy for the role of culture in the
Bulgarian Development Policy could vary as per the objectives, potentials and
ambitions of our country. Bulgaria possesses rich cultural heritage and thorough
experience in the dialogue between cultures and tolerance, which is a comparative
advantage that may be used both to assist the developing countries and to promote
the Bulgarian culture and creative arts in the latter. The combination of the
initiatives for the implementation of the Development Policy with those within the
scope of cultural diplomacy will provide more opportunities for the fruitful pursuit
and achievement of Bulgaria's foreign policy objectives. In this light, the future
strategy for culture should comprise a component for Bulgaria’s cultural promotion
abroad. The significance and the "visibility" of a component of this kind is a
subject of estimation, but in any case it should complement the activities under the
international plan of the EU Communication Strategy and those within the frames
of the National Culture Fund to the Ministry of Culture.
The examined experience of other countries has provided some applicable for
Bulgaria options for actions as regards the cultural dimensions of development;
these actions can be grouped and differentiated in specific, limited in number
realms with a view to feasibility and priorities, e.g.:
- Culture and democratic processes;
- Sustainable management of the cultural heritage;
- Strengthening of the dialogue and the partnerships among cultures (creative
and academic exchange).
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Bulgaria's development assistance with priorities of this kind may indirectly
contribute to the improvement of the environment of the Bulgarian communities in
some developing countries – a key priority of Bulgaria's foreign policy.
The active interaction among all players acting in the field of the Development
Policy and also in the field of culture and creative arts – institutes, organisations,
artists, etc. – is of key importance for the success of the activities related to culture
and development.
Bulgaria borders several developing countries, whose local authorities maintain
close cross-border political and cultural ties with their counterparts in Bulgaria,
complemented by the European programmes. The local and regional authorities
play a key role in the exchange of good practices and the fostering of common
traditions, especially in South-Eastern Europe(culture is among the fields of
partnership within the frames of the existing Euroregions with Serbia, Macedonia
and Turkey as well as of the interaction between Odessa and Varna and among
Sliven, Pleven and homologous structures in Southern Moldova and the Ukraine).
Many spoken word, musical and other artistic performances that set up the world
cultural heritage are inspired by a migrating population, hence the activities related
to culture and development may be performed with the cooperation of recognised
representatives of large Bulgarian communities abroad, especially outstanding
artists and actors.
Bulgaria's non-governmental sector already participates in the implementation
of projects on culture in a number of developing countries in South-Eastern and
Eastern Europe.
An essential role for the implementation of a strategy on culture and
development would also be played by the fruitful interaction and cooperation
within the frames of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the structures in
charge of the international cooperation and development, the State Institute for
Culture, the Diplomatic Institute and the territorial directorates.
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture and the structures thereof have also a key role to
play.
The results from the activities dedicated to culture in Bulgaria's Development
Policy can be measured on the basis of the indicators tailored by UNESCO.
In this context we should mention that over the recent years UNESCO has
turned into an indisputable leader in the efforts to promote the significance of
culture for overcoming poverty. The role of culture for the achievement of
sustainable development and the incorporation of culture in the post-2015
development framework is a priority in the activity of Ms Irina Bokova,
UNESCO’s Director-General, who stated in May 2014: „It is not just the devel-
opment, but the sustainable and inclusive development that is at stake today. And
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culture is our unique opportunity”vii
. By its Funds-in-Trust to UNESCO and the
established Regional Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage, Bulgaria supports
soundly Ms Irina Bokova's efforts in this respect, but turning culture into a priority
of Bulgaria's Development Policy will provide a significant strategic direction and
visibility of this assistance, especially in case that longer-term foreign policy
objectives are available.
The establishment of a strategic framework for the role of culture in Bulgaria's
Development Policy should be a result of the efforts made by all the players
involved in culture-related activities and development cooperation – national
institutions, representations of international governmental and non-governmental
organisations in Bulgaria, the private and public sectors, professionals, the
academic community, etc. To that end Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs may
hold not only thematic and broad consultations with the said participants in this
process, but it could also set up a discussion among them in the form of a con-
ference. The fruitful and open debate is not only a source of legitimately and
democratically generated smart ideas and proposals, but also a necessary
instrument to make the players feel committed. The current European Year of
Development (2015) is the best occasion for such debates.
The development cooperation should be definitely considered a significant
political and financial instrument to be used by Bulgaria and the foreign policy
thereof. Our country enjoys specific comparative advantages based on the positive
historic experience, gained also during the period of transition, and on the
geostrategic role that allow the purposeful use of the Development Policy with a
view to both donor's commitments and foreign policy priorities. The purposeful
and strategic use of culture in the EU's external relations lies ahead, while some
EU Member States actively use culture as an instrument of their foreign policies
and as a priority of the policies for development implemented by them. Culture
constitutes a very good opportunity to focus Bulgaria's efforts as a donor and to
strengthen Bulgaria’s prestige and position in the developing countries and in the
regional and international organisations, where it is a member. As a function of the
international context and of our country's priorities and ambitions, the development
assistance directed to the cultural dimensions, as a first step, could be included in
the objectives of the post-2015 Strategic Programme of Bulgaria for Development
Policy and Humanitarian Aid, and generally it could be a part of the future
strategic programmes for bilateral development cooperation. The necessary
comparative advantages, institutions, capacity and experience are available, so
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Bulgaria can turn culture into a strategic priority of the Development Policy and
into an instrument of the foreign policy, respectively.
i Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 234 of 1st August 2011 on the policy of Bulgaria for participation in the
international development cooperation. ii European Parliament resolution of 12 May 2011 on the cultural dimensions of the EU's external actions
(2010/2161(INI)) iii
“Culture and Development: MDG-F Thematic Study: Key Findings and Achievements”, UN, 2013.
http://www.mdgfund.org/sites/all/themes/custom/undp_2/docs/thematic_studies/English/full/Culture_
Thematic%20Study.pdf iv „Cultural cooperation in the Balkan and Black Sea region”, a report requested by the State Institute for Culture,
authors: Kristin Razslokova, Yuriy Valkovski and Yana Genova, May 2008. v A Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Culture from South-Eastern Europe entitled Intangible Cultural Heritage
and Sustainable Development, adopted at the 8th Ministerial Conference on Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern
Europe, held on 24th October in Sofia. http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Venice/pdf/
news/DECLARATION_EN_25oct2012.pdf vi Ohrid Regional strategy for cooperation in South-East Europe, 28th June 2014, town of Ohrid, FYROM,
http://www.kunstkultur.bka.gv.at/DocView.axd?CobId=56282 vii
A keynote address delivered by Ms Irina Bokova, UNESCO's Director-General, at the High-level Thematic
Debate on Culture and Development within the frames of the UN General Assembly, dedicated to culture and
development, held on 5th May 2014.