The quality of roads is a topic not only in Bulgaria and Great Britain, but also throughout Europe. This was stated by the British Ambassador to Bulgaria, Nathaniel Copsey, in a special interview with NOVA.
Host: The whole country came out to protest because of the ridiculous death of a 12-year-old girl. If this had happened in Great Britain, what would have been different?
Nathaniel Copsey: Well yes, unfortunately, this is a very important and serious problem in Bulgaria. We mourn with you and with all the victims of this problem. We support the actions of the Bulgarian government against this threat. Our experience in the UK - perhaps it would have advantages for Bulgaria and we are ready to share it with the Bulgarian government.
Host: Is the quality of roads a topic at all for you?
Nathaniel Copsey: I think this is a topic everywhere in Europe, not only in Bulgaria and in the UK. Unfortunately, this is a serious problem here.
Host: Justice is what is sought at the moment after all such cases of deaths on the road. Is there justice in such cases in your country? Do you expect that we will have justice here?
Nathaniel Copsey: In the UK, as in Bulgaria, there is the rule of law and there will be consequences for those people who break the rules.
Host: You talk about justice. Six Bulgarians were convicted of espionage for Russia. Has this changed the attitude of the English towards the Bulgarians?
Nathaniel Copsey: Oh, no, I wouldn't say so. I think that Bulgaria's image in the UK is very good. I was on holiday this winter with my family in “Borovets” and I noticed that the largest group of tourists there were British. I am very happy as the British ambassador. This trial with the spies shows to me that the threat from Russia is very serious and important - not only for us, but for all of Europe, including Bulgaria.
Host: On our air, investigative journalist Hristo Grozev said that it is likely that there are other cells of this spy network in Bulgaria. Do you think that is possible?
Nathaniel Copsey: Unfortunately, it is absolutely possible. Yes.
Host: Is the work between the two countries and their services to unravel this case to the end continuing in this regard?
The new British ambassador to Bulgaria – with an emotional video in Bulgarian
Nathaniel Copsey: Yes, and we are very grateful to the Bulgarian government for our cooperation in the fight against the threat from Russia and we will continue to work together against this threat.
Host: Do you have any idea how big this Russian spy network is that has already been detected in your country?
Nathaniel Copsey: I would say it is very large. As you know, there was a very sad case in Salisbury a few years ago. Unfortunately, this threat is really very large.
Host: Information has emerged that these Bulgarian spies had a political umbrella here in Bulgaria. Do you believe that Bulgarian politicians may have helped them do what they did there - namely, spy for Russia?
Nathaniel Copsey: I don't think so and there is no evidence for this.
Host: Another topic that also connected your country and mine in an unpleasant way. Bulgarians were convicted of participating in the largest welfare fraud scheme in the UK for 50 million pounds. It is unclear where the money is to this day. Does the search for the huge amount of money lead back to Bulgaria?
Nathaniel Copsey: That is the truth. We had this problem a few years ago during COVID. For me, this problem shows us that our welfare system has several weaknesses.
Host: But will your country become more cautious about Bulgarians, in terms of their admission to the labour market and the welfare system after what happened a few months ago?
Nathaniel Copsey: No, absolutely not. Bulgarian citizens are welcome in the UK. They are a very important and well-valued part of our community. There are about 300,000 Bulgarians and for the first time we have a Bulgarian mayor in the town of Medway. For every Bulgarian citizen, there are the same rules as for other people who live and work in the UK.
Host: But how do you explain the scale of this fraud? More than 50 million pounds. How did these people from Bulgaria manage to deceive your system in such a way?
Nathaniel Copsey: My humble opinion is that there are better and worse people everywhere. It doesn't matter if they are Bulgarian or not, and to me this shows that there are weaknesses in our system and we need to do something about this threat.
Host: Do you know if this money is currently being sought here in Bulgaria - this huge amount that disappeared from your system then?
Nathaniel Copsey: Unfortunately, I have no information about this. As you know, it is always very difficult to find stolen money from criminals. This is not only a problem in Bulgaria, but everywhere.
Host: We talked a lot about Bulgarians living in the UK, about the British who come here. However, since April 2, your country has been entered in a different way, a special permit is required. What is your assessment from April 2 to today?
Nathaniel Copsey: Yes, that is true. We created this system in 2023 and this system has been operating for Europeans since April 2. So far, everything is going well and is very good. The most important thing is that this is not a visa, but only a travel permit. The whole process is very easy and simple. You have to pay the fee, which is 16 British pounds - about up to 35 leva. What I would say, and it is extremely important, is that under no circumstances should you use any other site than the official one. It is gov.uk, but unfortunately there are other sites with very high prices and fees. There have already been cases of fraud.
Host: This is an important clarification, but tell me, are there many fake sites that try to sell this permit? Is the permit they are selling real, albeit at a higher price?
Nathaniel Copsey: Yes.
Host: Do you have any idea how many such permits have been issued to Bulgarians from April 2 to today? Have there been any refusals?
Nathaniel Copsey: I have no information about this, but as far as I know, there have been no problems for Bulgarian citizens.
Host: You said a while ago that when you were at a resort here in Bulgaria, you saw a lot of British tourists. However, do you expect their number to decrease at the moment when Brussels also introduced a similar permit for Britons for Europe, which the British introduced for travelers from Europe?
Nathaniel Copsey: No, I don't think so. As I said, our system is very simple and easy. I'm sure the European system will be like that too. Such a system has existed for us and for traveling to the USA for a long time. This is not a big problem. I expect that there will be more British tourists in Bulgaria this year.
Host: So, the fact that they will have to pay extra money to still enter these new sites, will not stop the British from coming to Bulgaria as they do now?
Nathaniel Copsey: No, it won't. I am sure that the British have a very good opinion of Bulgaria and that there will be more British tourists in Bulgarian resorts.
Host: Another very important topic that I want to discuss with you. Two months ago, the so-called “Coalition of the Willing“ was created in order to assist Ukraine. Do you feel the support that Britain is ready to give to Ukraine from Bulgaria as well?
Nathaniel Copsey: I am very glad that Bulgaria is a member of the “Coalition of the Willing“ and from the very beginning of the war in Ukraine, Bulgaria has supported Ukraine in its fight against the Russian aggression. I welcome Bulgaria's proposal for an international coordination center in Varna for shipping in the Black Sea. For me, this is an extremely good proposal from Bulgaria. So far, we have not received a response from Vladimir Putin and there is no need for peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. We and other countries in Europe, including France, are ready to send our soldiers to Ukraine, but so far this is not on the table. We are waiting for an answer from Vladimir Putin.
Host: However, do you expect Bulgaria to assist you in this mission by sending soldiers to Ukraine, if, of course, the negotiations reach that point, because you saw how much debate this topic has generated in the Bulgarian government?
Nathaniel Kopsi: This is a question for the Bulgarian government, but the position of my government is that we are very grateful for the help from Bulgaria so far, including this center in Varna. I think it is not true that every member of the “Coalition of the Willing“ should send soldiers to Ukraine. Of course, there are many different options for Bulgaria to help Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Bulgaria is already sending military aid to Ukraine, including shells and many different things. As I said, we, together with our NATO allies, are grateful for this assistance to Ukraine, and I see that your government will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia. What is extremely important is that there is also support from the United States for our military forces in Ukraine. I am sure that there will be peace in Ukraine, a just and lasting peace, and I hope that this will happen this year.
Host: Have you watched the series “Youth”?
Nathaniel Copsey: Unfortunately, no, but I understand that this is indeed a famous series on television not only in the UK but also in Bulgaria. I understand that the message of this series is that we need to be extremely careful about young people's access to the internet. As a parent, I think this is very important. A parent alone cannot do much, but together we can act against this threat. Of course, the internet has many advantages, but I would say that unlimited access to the internet, of course, has negative consequences for young people.
Host: Last question. Do you like the weather in Bulgaria? Do you regret that you were not sent somewhere else?
Nathaniel Copsey: I am really happy to be in Bulgaria. It is a wonderful country for me and so far everything is going well. I have been with my family in your wonderful country for more than 7 months and I will be here for another 4 or 3 years.