Rositsa Zlatanova is a representative of the European Forum of experts. She tells us more about the activity of the organization and the unique European settlements in our country. Тhis year, on October 30, Gorna Lipnitsa village was honored  with this title and for that purpose it got a Golden seal.

-  Mrs. Zlatanova, what represents the European Forum of the experts?

This is a non governmental organization, which basic purpose is the gathering the efforts of some of the most popular scientists and creators both in Europe and Bulgaria, who have international recognition, integrating them in the common idea for working together for overtaking status of our country. 

In our country, many of members and governing bodies of BAS and other science institutions are working on their own for the European projects without the assessment, the knowledge and the information by a Bulgarian part. They take parts in large projects by the European countries, make scientific discoveries and inventions. After the presentation of the event on an international scale, people began to talk more about the French or English scientific communities, for example, and nobody mentioned the Bulgarian scientists’ contribution. For this the organization wants to summarize and cover all successes and achievements of the persons in Bulgaria, to present them clearly, to support them and so Bulgaria can stand more authoritatively among other European countries.

What is the process of nomination one settlement as a unique European one?

The other non governmental organization that co-operates with the European Forum of experts is an Official Representation of The unique settlement of in Europe. Some of more popular unique settlements are Florence, Nahara, Drama, Strasbourg and already 138 Bulgarian cities and villages. There are three criteria for nominating a settlement are - to have a unique and ancient history and culture, to have specific natural facts and to own opportunities for attracting foreign investors. According to these criteria the villages are investigated.  This is being done by shown their worth persons from the European Forum of  experts – over a hundred popular Bulgarian names, who take parts in the government of the three responsible Departments. For example, this year, Gorna Lipnitsa won a Golden seal, because it satisfies the three nominated criteria. In ancient times, even the cave man knew where was the appropriate place to live – wherever are water, fruitful earth and oak-woodland. These ones appear in Gorna Lipnitsa.  In the village area there are found ancient Rome public bath, very little sculptures with an antic value. There is the unique church, created by Kolju Ficheto, a memorable battle, leaded by Haji Dimitur and Stefan Karadja. The village has always been overtaking with its enlightenment and culture. This is the place where Nikolai Serafimov and his son – the famous Bulgarian publicist and an author - Serafim Severnjak - were living.

The organization has nominated Gela village as a unique. There was every citizen that got so called golden book, shaped as a badge because everyone take a part in the folklore cast “Manol Radichev. It became famous because of the mayor of Gela village did not allow to the English tourists to come into the village as a sign of a protest. The reason was well-founded. The folklore cast exists for 100 years and it has been invited to a festival in the United Kingdom. They went to the British Embassy in Bulgaria, where they got an answer that their single aim was to emigrate in Bulgaria.  Without permitting the English tourists as a sign of indignation, Kalinka Draganova gave an example to many our politicians how they must defend our rights and authority as a nation. After that of course they got apologies and they went to the festival in England and were nominated in the first place.

After the nomination of a village with a Golden seal, what are the pluses of its development?

The basic purpose of the organization is not to solve all tasks of the settlement, because the non governmental organization is not a state institution. It is not supposed to be involved into current themes such as town-development, pavements and etc.  The basic purpose is to stimulate the settlements, to be encouraged in their undertakings, to develop their selves more dynamically. The organization meets the mayors with definite Ministries.  If the settlement has some idea on a great scale that it considers to realize, we support exactly that and organize meetings with the appropriate institutions. If they are connected with the cultural tourism, for example, we help in connection with The Tourist Agency, the Ministry of the culture or the Ministry of the economy.

Is there any European project that is won and realized by your support?

The tasks are on very large scale and they can not be solved from today to tomorrow or in two days –time limit. After some similar initiatives, not less settlements were more dynamically developed. An interesting meeting was organized with the management of one of the nominated settlements, Kjustendil. All mayors put their requests and initiatives, formed as letters credential. We proposed those projects to the Agency of investments, because every settlement needs first and before all, of investments.

Now, Sadovo city desires to be supported by us in its initiative for developing a technology for production of peanut butter. The region is deprived of other means of livelihood, and it has extraordinary gifts for this cultivation that over- top the world parameters. For example, the American peanuts cultivation gives 2-3 less than this in the region of Sadovo.

We work for projects for the new energy resources in not large settlements that are with lots of fields and want to product solar energy. They need of professional projects, prepared by scientists of BAS. They cost much more acceptable money values rather than private companies that even do not have the necessary scientific capacity.

Are there settlements that already use the Golden seal for their important documents?

Vratza is one of the first cities that put seal to a project, valued at 98 millions leva and it won it. Soon, Plovdiv city boasted of such step. Our purpose is to give courage to the smaller settlements that have not the opportunities like big cities such as Sofia, Varna, Bourgas. The big cities are wanted by the investors on their own whereas the small settlements have great gifts for development and they need of a bit more support. 

 What is planning in the future the European Forum of the experts?
We plan more dynamic union of the Bulgarian and European settlements for making a festival of the fraternized European settlements. There are at least 500 European cities that have contacts with native settled places. There, the aim is on place to be popularized all possible initiatives of our settlements. It is difficult to establish a contact by single way our settlements during the whole year. For this, everything will happen one per a year in a common meeting. The meeting will be connected with both celebrated dates March 3 and May 24. It is planned for the year 2009.

We plan a visit to all mayors of the nominated settlements during the month February in Paris, purposely to support the Bulgarian candidature for a manager of UNESCO in the person of Irina Popova.

To the present moment the mayors of the unique settlements took parts in working meetings in Europe, organized by the Forum of experts. The mayors were welcomed by the governing bodies of the European Institutions

 “European Economic and Social Committee” and “The Regions committee” in Brussels.