I have with great surprise read the content of your article "Another embassy accused. Swedish mission the latest to defend visa issues" that was published in the October 12-18 issue of The Sofia Echo.

The article begins with saying: "The Swedish Embassy in Sofia is the latest to be accused of illegally issuing visas and even of trafficking people for bribes."

This is an astonishing statement! Who has accused the embassy of this? As far as I know, nobody (except, perhaps, The Sofia Echo). The basic issue is that a correspondent of the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, stationed in Norway, has interviewed a Norwegian policeman, due to the fact that 157 Turkish citizens were given entry permits to Norway in the years 1998-2000 through the sports agency Guldemir Sport, and, because of that, he questioned if the control at the Swedish Embassy in Sofia had been satisfactory.

This false assumption of our involvement has now been blown up into absurd proportions. Let me therefore present the facts about the case once more, although all details have already been made clear at the press conference I gave on October 4, together with a Swedish representative of the National Criminal Investigation Services.

Firstly, the issue refers to the Swedish Embassy in Sofia in our function as Norwegian Consulate General and the issuing of visas for Norway. It should be particularly underlined that the Norwegian Consulate General did not make the decision to issue visas for the first group for which Guldemir Sport applied in October 1998. The applications raised some doubts and, therefore, in accordance with the existing rules, they were referred by the Consulate General in Sofia to the Norwegian Immigration Authorities (UDI), which made the decision. This was taken as a precedent opening the door for the sports trips, which between October 1998 and December 2000 included 157 persons. On January 8 this year, after consultations with the Bulgarian border police and by asking the Norwegian police to investigate the issue thoroughly, the embassy was able to reveal this human trafficking channel. Three people are now under trial in Norway.

Secondly, there is no suspicion whatsoever against any single individual in the Swedish Embassy/Norwegian Consulate General for having committed any irregularity. During the period in question, approximately 15,000 visas for Sweden and Norway were issued. There is no proof of any single deviation from the existing rules on the part of the embassy/consulate general.

We have consistently applied the principle of caution and all uncertain cases have been referred by the embassy to the immigration authorities in Sweden or Norway for decision. My staff is not under any investigation for any sort of illegal action. That is why I regard your article as highly disrespectful for my embassy and also personally for the colleagues who have processed the visa applications of thousands of people for many years with trust and care. I am proud of the professionalism with which the people at the visa section have dealt with these issues.

The decision whether an applicant should be given a visa may, in certain cases, be a delicate balance between the individual person's legitimate right to visit the country and the government's interests in upholding the immigration regulations. Therefore, the embassy's visa staff is continuously being trained to keep up with new developments. Swedish diplomatic missions all over the world have a high reputation in this field.

Thirdly, out of context, your article takes up the case of over 700 Bulgarian citizens, who went from Rousse to Norway this summer, beguiled by false promises of social and economic benefits, including jobs. The embassy has had nothing to do with the actual events of this case, as Bulgarian citizens have been permitted travel to Schengen countries visa-free since April 10 this year. We have participated actively in the efforts to try and unravel that criminal network for human trafficking.

It is unfair and unjustified on the part of The Sofia Echo to publish an article of this kind. You were not interested in publishing the facts but rather in inventing a sensational story. You did not even make a difference between the subject and the object - which were the good and the bad forces. Your journalist has not shown even an elementary measure of good publicistic practice or press ethics. The design of the article undoubtedly creates an impression that there is "no smoke without fire."

I take the full responsibility for all the actions of my staff. And my view is crystal clear: There are no legal grounds for any allegations directed at the embassy/consulate general or the officials there, dealing with the visa issues. I am convinced that journalism of this kind, which does not distinguish between fact and rumour, will inevitably forfeit the trust of its readers.

I have always appreciated The Sofia Echo and seen it as a serious and valuable newspaper, stimulating to read. Why do you play with your good reputation by giving place to such a spurious publication?

Sten Ask
Ambassdor of Sweden
Consul General of Norway