The phrase “the past is another country” has become part of popular culture. For Steve Williams, who served in the UK embassy in Bulgaria for three years up to April 1987 and who has now returned as British ambassador, in some ways the Bulgaria of the present is another country.

Qualifying his remarks by saying that he has been back for only just more than two weeks, Williams says: “The changes are dramatic. If somebody had said to me when I left the country that I would be returning to a country that would be a fully-fledged partner of the UK’s both in the European Union and in Nato, I would have found that simply inconceivable”.

The political context of his posting, he says, is obviously substantially different.

“In terms of more subtle changes, looking at some the visible changes that I have noticed already, the gleaming new terminal at Sofia Airport, walking around the streets of Sofia – the vibrancy of commercial activity, the range of goods in shops and markets, the services that are available, the thriving cafe culture, the media that has undergone a striking change, with the vibrancy and dynamism of the print and broadcast media, and...the traffic!”

What has struck him, too, is what has not changed. “My wife and I have very happy memories from Bulgaria, even though in the 1980s for the country’s people it was a very difficult time; the warmth and generosity of the people, the marvellous crafts and traditions, the delicious cuisine, and of course the beautiful and incredibly diverse countryside – happily, all of those things are unchanged.”

Asked where he would like to revisit, Williams points out that parts of the Bulgaria of the 1980s were closed to foreigners, and he and his family relish the opportunity to explore such places, for example the southern Rhodopes. Naturally, he is looking forward to returning to those places he did get to know. It is also a personal and professional priority to acquaint himself with all the country’s places and communities, the better to expand the depth and range of his understanding of the Bulgaria that is not Sofia.

The Bulgaria of the past was also a place that strictly discouraged contact between ordinary Bulgarians and foreigners – “it was difficult and dangerous for Bulgarians to have contact with Western diplomats”, an impediment now long gone. “The mood towards me is completely different to what it was then.” Arriving as the municipal elections campaigns peaked, Williams noted that Bulgaria has changed to a society with high level of open, dynamic and vigorous debate.

Another significant change is that the former Bulgaria hosted few people from the UK, certainly a scant number of residents, and a tourist inflow scarcely comparable to today’s figures. Apart from the large numbers of UK tourists, reported in the most recent figures to number nearly 500 000, and the fact that the UK is now the largest investor in Bulgaria, there is the well-known factor of UK investment in Bulgaria’s property market.

“There are ever-increasing numbers of British nationals getting acquainted with Bulgaria and what it has to offer. It can only be described as a positive trend. My impression, and again I qualify this by saying that I’ve only been here a few weeks, is that those Britons who are settling here are integrating well. And most Bulgarians that I have spoken to characterise British investment in the property market as being beneficial to the economy. Obviously, I can imagine that in some localities the effect may be to push prices up, and that may affect local ability to purchase property, but I think that the supply of property on the market is such that I am not aware that this is a problem.”

He adds: “The growth of English-language publications, including The Sofia Echo, is testimony to the burgeoning English-speaking community, which I welcome.”

It is put to him that the UK media have tended of late to run stories that are negative towards Bulgaria, especially on the issue of labour market access in the UK. “I think that it’s important to distinguish between media coverage and the image of Bulgaria in Britain at the moment. The two obviously have some linkage, but I would say that the overall image of Bulgaria in the UK is a very positive one, and I would say that Bulgaria is now much better known than it was a few years ago in the UK. The reasons, as we have been discussing, is the number of British people coming here for holidays and owning property here; there is the small but growing Bulgarian community in the UK; well-known stars like Dimitar Berbatov; human interest cases such as the freeing of the Bulgarian nurses from Libya, which captivated interest in the UK. The fact that Bulgaria is now known to be a fellow-partner in the EU and Nato, all of these are strongly positive trends. I would also pay tribute to (Bulgarian ambassador in London) Luchezar Matev, and of course, trade relations are going from strength to strength.”

Perhaps one of the most significant changes is that, after Bulgaria’s EU accession, the countries are now partners in the multilateral context, and the phase of the UK helping Bulgaria towards the EU on a bilateral basis is past.

“Overall, it is not a question any more of us helping Bulgaria, but Bulgaria and the UK working as partners on shared goals. Bulgaria has already brought considerable added value in its perspectives, in its expertise on issues like the Western Balkans, the Black Sea region, external energy security issues.”

Williams notes that Bulgarian military personnel serve along with British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in multi-national deployments in Bosnia and Kosovo.

He adds that as part of Bulgaria’s relations with the EU, there are outstanding issues such as the justice and home affairs chapter of accession. “It is very important area, certainly one where we in the UK are ready to give encouragement and support to Bulgaria in the work it is doing.”

At a bilateral level, the UK has operational co-operation with Bulgaria against terrorism, organised crime and other global threats, co-operation that has been augmented by Bulgaria joining the EU.

Williams’ immediate priorities as the new UK ambassador are to get to know people and to build up his contacts and level of expertise on political, social and cultural matters, “obviously, too, to get to know the British community,” and to brush up his Bulgarian.

In the longer term, “my goal at the end of my four years would be to be able to say that I personally, and the embassy I am leading, will have made a value-added contribution to UK foreign and domestic policy priorities, through working with Bulgarian partners on issues like climate change, the fight against organised crime, against terrorism, the reforms of the EU, and issues related to regional stability. And to ensure that the embassy delivers top-quality public services, trade and investment services, and the delivery of consular and visa services.”

As to leisure time, while on his first weekend he tracked down a place to watch England’s performance in the Rugby World Cup final, he admits that when it comes to most sports, his enthusiasm exceeds his skill. He is keen on tennis, golf “very rudimentary but with an ambition to get better”; and he loves mountain walking and used to be a keen cyclist.

And outside the diplomatic circuit, some of his introductions as he makes his way around this new Bulgaria may come as the family’s cocker spaniel is taken for walks.

2005 - 2007  London, Director of Americas Department
2003 - 2005  London, Head of Latin America and Caribbean Department
2001 - 2003  Buenos Aires, Deputy Head of Mission
1998 - 2000 London, Deputy Head of European Union (Internal) Department
1995 - 1998 UKREP Brussels, First Secretary (External Relations)
1991 - 1995  Oslo, Head of Economic and Commercial Section
1990 - 1991 London, Secondment to Barclays Bank
1987 - 1990 London, European Community (External) Department
1984 - 1987  Sofia, Second Secretary (Political and Cultural)
1981 - 1983  London, Third Secretary