WASHINGTON, DC, October 10, 2023 -- The University Club of Washington, DC, today hosted the former president of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rosen Asenov Plevneliev, for a talk about the Atlantic Alliance seen from The Balkans today.
Plevneliev was the fourth president of Bulgaria, serving from January 2012 - 2017.
Before being elected as president, from 2009 to 2011 he served as Bulgaria's Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, overseeing the country's infrastructure, communications and development projects. Prior to government service, Plevneliev was a partner and CEO of a construction management firm that he founded in 1990, and managed prominent projects in both Germany and Bulgaria.
“Surprisingly, I ended up in politics after teaching politicians what’s good and what’s bad,” he joked.
Plevneliev focused his presidency on administrative and judicial reforms, improving energy efficiency, and managing diplomatic issues ranging from China and Russia to the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He subsequently received awards and honors from some 20 countries.
Describing his journey from successful entrepreneur to politician, Plevneliev talked candidly about everything from Ukraine, Russia and China to democratic leadership, his aspirations for the region, and what it will take to achieve peace in The Balkans.
“There is no way to have a peace agreement. There is a way to get to a cease fire,” Plevneliev observed.
“Solutions are very complex -- they take time. We should learn from our mistakes, which is why we need a multi-layered approach, on many fronts.”
Plevneliev said being candid and truthful has served him well in his career as an entrepreneur and statesman. “It’s important that we stand up for the truth,” he said.
Douglas G. Bonner, president of The University Club of Washington, D.C., presented President Plevneliev with the Club’s Excellence in International Leadership Award.
Plevneliev joins a host of stimulating speakers to have met with members of The University Club of Washington, D.C., who come to explore intellectual pursuits. The list, all in the last year, includes the Ambassadors to the United States from Australia, Taiwan, Switzerland and Ukraine; the former U.S. Ambassador to China; as well as notable authors, historians, archaeologists, and many other subject matter experts.