The name of the first Bulgarian resident to be barred from entering the US because of corruption will be announced in days, said Washington’s Ambassador in Bulgaria Herro Mustafa in an interview for Nova TV.
“The United States of America intend to take tougher measures, measures with teeth, in the fight against corruption. This is why we will soon announce the first Bulgarian to be banned from entering the US for corruption. There is a specific provision in Congressional law that entitles the US Secretary of State to name officials involved in corrupt practices. One month after my confirmation that we will do this, we will actually announce a name. The reason is that it is important to work together in the fight against corruption and, when we can do our job, we do it. It will be just one name, but then there will be others. We will then look into the applicability of the global Magnetic Law and other rigid measures. We do not take this matter superficially. To name a specific person, we need to have evidence. This first case is very clear, so we decided to act quickly. And that will happen in a few days,” promised Herro Mustafa. 
She also commented on the idea of potential changes in the Bulgarian Constitution. “Any decision for reforming the Constitution must come from the Bulgarian government, the parliament and the people. The rule of law is one of the pillars in our strategic dialogue, which means that we are leading a good dialogue with the government and the civil society. We are discussing how the US can provide knowledge and best practices,” stated the diplomat. Regarding the matter of visa waiver for Bulgarians the Ambassador replied: “In March, the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs will visit Bulgaria for the first time. He is the highest-level official at the State Department dealing with this matter. He will pay a visit to talk about the visa-free travel program. Speaking of which, the US Embassy has just launched the programme Work and Travel USA which enables 5,000 Bulgarian students to spend their summer holiday in the USA.” “Energy diversification should be considered in practice, not just in principle. A US delegation of technical experts will visit Bulgaria for the second time,” the Ambassador said regarding the energy topic in Bulgaria. When asked about the situation in the Middle East, Mustafa said that the USA “has and will continue to have presence in Iraq.” “We are also having discussions with NATO to analyze the possibilities for strengthening NATO’s presence. We all believe in the idea of strong and stable Iraq and Middle East as a whole. Unfortunately, Iran’s government chose another path, the path of terrorism, and a line of behavior towards the region and the world that does not necessarily meet the view of the Iranian people,” noted Mustafa. “I feel very lucky to be in Bulgaria. My family and I love this country and the Bulgarian people. I also love your language. I don’t think it is difficult. I simply cannot find enough time to learn it. What impresses me the most is the strength of the Bulgarian people. In every institution and in civil society I’ve met people who work for the bright future of Bulgaria,” shared Herro Mustafa.
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