Minister Mladenov opened an exhibition devoted to the events of 11 September 2001 in New York
The Minister of foreign affairs Nikolay Mladenov and the US Ambassador to Bulgaria – James Warlick opened an exhibition in Sofia “Nothing is Impossible”, photographs by Alberto Staykov, at the “Mission” Gallery at the State Institute for Culture.
In his speech Minister Mladenov made a parallel between the events of 10 November 1989 in Bulgaria and 11 September 2001 in New York. While on 10 November 1989 we have realized that the world is different and free, on September 11th we have realized that this freedom is not coming without victims and efforts, he said. Also, we have realized that there are people who see the world in a different way. And thus, we had to decide – to announce a war to these people or to seek a solution how to live in peace and cooperation and to deny the theory of Samuel Huntington for the clash of civilizations. Accepting his theory means that many events similar to the September 11th will happen, Mr. Mladenov stated. According to him, Bulgaria which is located in a complicated geographic region has been looking for the compromise to live in peace with the others for hundreds of years and is not entitled to divide the world to good people and bad people. When human rights are violated, when there is terrorism, conflicts, radicalization, we have to react fast. Bulgaria, in which Christians, Muslims, Greeks, Turks, Roma, Jews live together, not only should be proud of its history of tolerance but to carry it as a torch in a world where the tolerance is posed under a huge threat, said also Mr. Mladenov.
The US Ambassador James Warlick shared his emotional and personal memories for the 11 September 2001 events. He heard the news about this event in Moscow. After the tragedy of September 11th we realized that none of us is fully secure wherever we live. It caused an awakening to the Americans but it should have brought an awakening to all people in the world that no country is secure from terrorism, he said in his speech.
The exhibition is devoted to all victims of the September 11th attack in New York, to their relatives and friends who remained with the pain from their loss for ever, to all people all over the world for whom the dreams for a better life, for a world without wars and ruins, is impossible to be destroyed.
The photographs of Alberto Staykov have stamped the moment slipped by for good and for ever, which has turned into ash thousands of lives and unshared dreams. The absurd of this event has awakened in him, the witness, the strength of the subconscious, has placed his eye in the camera and has pulled the trigger. After the silent “documenting”, the words and the first messages came. Most probably this is how the title of the photo exhibition was generated “Nothing is Impossible”. The witness Alberto shares this with us in 16 photographs. He leaves to us to choose what to overcome or what to obey.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by foreign ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps in Sofia and representatives of state and public organizations. A guest of the event was the former President of Republic of Bulgaria Mr. Zhelyu Zhelev.