2002
January
- Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov addresses The Atlantic Club in a lecture on The Foreign Policy Priorities of Bulgaria, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel (attendance: 1,000-plus).
- Turkey’s Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit addresses The Atlantic Club in a lecture on Global Challenges to Security and Stability: The Balkan Dimension, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel (attendance: 500-plus).
- The Atlantic Club organizes a seminar on Implementation of European and Atlantic Security Standards and its Effect on Bulgarian Society, in Plovdiv.
February
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria hosts the 6th Annual Atlantic Lunch, under the auspices of Bulgaria’s Vice President Angel Marin, attended by NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, Honorary President of The Atlantic Club, Sofia Mayor Stefan Sofiyanski and Ambassadors of NATO and PfP countries.
- NATO Day in Plovdiv, organized by The Atlantic Club, with the participation of France’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Jean-Loup Kuhn-Delforge. A hall at the Plovdiv Fair Congress Centre is named “Atlantic Hall”.
- Italian Foreign Trade Minister Adolfo Urso addresses The Atlantic Club in Sofia.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, the George C. Marshall Center-Bulgaria and the Centre for National Security and Defence Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Science organize a round-table discussion on C4 Systems and the Invitation to Join NATO in 2002 – Key Projects and Technologies: the Role of Administration, Business and Academic Sector.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a round-table discussion on Bulgaria’s Decision to Join NATO: 5 Years Later, attended by Bulgaria’s ex-President Zhelyu Zhelev and Sofia Mayor and ex-Prime Minister Stefan Sofiyanski, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a ceremony for the presentation of the Black Belt (First Dan) to Solomon Passy for promoting Aikido in Bulgaria. A Demonstration of Aikido and a calligraphy by Shihanday Tadzhiri Sensey follows.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov participates as a key-note speaker in the Conference on Ethnic Conflict in Southeast Europe in Ljubljana, sponsored by the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.
- The Atlantic Club organizes a seminar on the Implementation of European and Atlantic Security Standards and its Effect on Bulgarian Society in Plovdiv.
- NGO Report No. 1 on The Readiness of Bulgaria to Join NATO, commissioned by the Bulgarian Parliament and prepared by The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria jointly with the George C. Marshall Association, the Manfred Woerner Foundation, the Centre for National Security and the Defence Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Economic Policy Institute, the Institute for Regional and International Studies, the Institute for Security and International Studies, the NATO Defence College Alumni Association and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies Alumni Association. Report presented to NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson during his visit to Sofia.
March
- General Joseph Ralston, SACEUR, addresses The Atlantic Club in a lecture on NATO Enlargement and the Role of Bulgaria in Regional Stability, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel (attendance: 500-plus).
- US Committee on NATO President Bruce P. Jackson addresses The Atlantic Club at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a round-table discussion on NATO, the United States and Bulgaria, with the special participation of the International Affairs Advisor to SACEUR Michael Durkee, at the NATO Information Centre in Sofia.
- Dr. Glenda Rosenthal of Columbia University addresses The Atlantic Club in a lecture on European Security and Defence Policy – the US Perspective, in Sofia.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov invites members of the newly established Presidential Council on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration to join the Club.
April
- The Spanish Ambassador to the EU’s Special Mission on Enlargement Jorge Fuentes addresses The Atlantic Club in a lecture on Bulgaria – a Look from Brussels and Madrid, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel (attendance: 500-plus).
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a round-table discussion on The American Decisions before Prague 2002, with the special participation of Dr. John Hulsman, Research Fellow in European Affairs at the Heritage Foundation, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- NATO Day in Bourgas, organized by The Atlantic Club, with the participation of Turkey’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Haydar Berk and Bourgas’ Mayor Yoan Kostadinov. The Gallup International report on public attitudes toward defence reforms, commissioned by The Atlantic Club, is presented at a public meeting in Bourgas.
- Seminar on the Implementation of European and Atlantic Security Standards and its Effect on Bulgarian Society, held in Bourgas.
- On occasion of the 11th birthday of The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria and the 53rd anniversary of the Washington Treaty, a concert is held at the Opera House in Bourgas and is attended by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, Honorary President of The Atlantic Club.
- A Club delegation, led by The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov attends the 12th International Antalya Conference on Security and Cooperation, held in Turkey, where a Joint Statement supporting the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to NATO is issued by the national Atlantic associations of Turkey, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.
- NATO Day in Blagoevgrad, organized by The Atlantic Club, with the participation of the Turkish Ambassador to Bulgaria Haydar Berk, at the American University in Bulgaria.
- Seminar on the Implementation of European and Atlantic Security Standards and its Effect on Bulgarian Society, in Varna.
- Conference on Citizens in Uniform – Protection of Their Social and Legal Rights, organized by the Manfred Woerner Foundation and the Rakovski Bulgarian Officers Legion Confederation, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club launches the Lobby for Bulgaria in NATO: Now! initiative, supported by Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Initiative encourages Bulgarian communities in all NATO Member States to lobby their respective parliaments and governments to support Bulgaria’s membership of the Alliance.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov participates as a key-note speaker in the NATO’s Enlargement Workshop in Prague, sponsored by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
May
- Former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev addresses The Atlantic Club at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel (attendance: 500-plus).
- Council of Europe Secretary-General Walter Schwimmer addresses The Atlantic Club at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel (attendance: large).
- A Club delegation participates in a Bulgarian Easter ceremony held at Sofia’s National Palace of Culture. At the meeting, Bulgarians living both in Bulgaria and abroad discuss together with Cabinet members the future of Bulgaria’s welfare, economic prosperity, as well as stability and security issues. Lobby for Bulgaria in NATO: Now! initiative presented at the meeting.
- Seminar on the Implementation of European and Atlantic Security Standards and its Effect on Bulgarian Society held in Sofia.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov participates in a Spring Meeting of the ATA Council in Brussels.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria initiates a National Committee for Welcoming His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Bulgaria during an official visit by His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Bulgaria. The Atlantic Club plays a significant role in the arrangement of two principal events in Sofia involving public appearances of His Holiness: a mass rally is held on Saint Alexander Nevsky Square, together with a concert marking the Day of Slav Literature and Bulgarian Culture, held at the National Palace of Culture.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov participates as key-note speaker at the International Conference on The Security Challenges in South East Europe, organized by The Atlantic Club of Yugoslavia in Belgrade.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, the Lyudmila Zhivkova – Banner of Peace Foundation and the National Education Complex of Culture organize an inauguration ceremony of a Memorial Bell NATO in Service of Peace at The Bells Monument, Sofia, in presence of the Secretary General and delegates to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, held in Sofia.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov participates as a key-note speaker in the US-Russian conference on The Euro-Atlantic Integration and Russia after September 11th, held in Moscow.
- NGO Report No. 2 on The Readiness of Bulgaria to Join NATO, commissioned by the Bulgarian Parliament and prepared by The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria jointly with the George C. Marshall Association, the Manfred Woerner Foundation, the Centre for National Security and Defence Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Economic Policy Institute, the Institute for Regional and International Studies, the Institute for Security and International Studies, the NATO Defence College Alumni Association and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies Alumni Association. Report circulated at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly held in Sofia.
June
- The Atlantic Club organizes a public lecture by the US Permanent Representative to the UN, John Negroponte, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- UK Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon delivers a public lecture before a large audience at Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a public lecture by Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, at Sofia’s Kempinski Hotel Zografski (attendance: 500-plus).
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, the International Aikido Association and the Bulgarian Aikido Foundation organize a demonstration of Aikido by Shihandai Andi Sato, at Sofia’s Bulgarian Army Theatre.
- Official promotion of the film How Europe Entered Bulgaria, organized by The Atlantic Club, at the Concert Hall of Sofia’s Central Military Club.
- The Manfred Woerner Foundation, The Atlantic Club and the Sofia Branch Office of UNHCR, in cooperation with the Agency for Refugees and under the auspices of Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha holds a round table on Refugees: A Positive Contribution to Development, at Sofia’s National Palace of Culture.
- The Atlantic Club organizes an official promotion of the film From Assisi to Sofia: The Pope on Bulgarian Land during a visit by His Holiness John Paul II to Bulgaria at Sofia’s Central Military Club.
July
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a public lecture on Strategic Impacts and Consequences of World War Against Terrorism by Israel’s ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak before a large audience, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a public lecture by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a public lecture by General Nikola Kolev, Chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov participates as an official invited guest at the inauguration of Albania’s newly elected President Alfred Moisiu, in Tirana.
- NATO Day in Varna, organized by The Atlantic Club. A Square and a monument in the city centre are named “Atlantic Solidarity.”
- The Atlantic Club organizes seminars on the Implementation of European and Atlantic Security Standards and its Effect on Bulgarian Society, in Varna and Bourgas.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a Round-Table Discussion on Bulgaria – Half a Year Non-Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, with the participation of ATA Chairman Alan Lee Williams, OBE, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria and the George C. Marshall Association, in cooperation with the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, organizes a workshop on The Reform of the Defence Industry, in Sofia.
August
- NATO Day in Dospat, organized by The Atlantic Club, with the participation of Denmark’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Christian Faber-Rod. One of the town squares is named “NATO.” A Chapter of The Atlantic Club is founded in Dospat.
September
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a public lecture by the US Ambassador to Bulgaria James W. Pardew at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- Round-table discussion on Bulgaria and NATO: 12 Years After and 12 Weeks Before, organized by The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria in cooperation with the Open Society Foundation, with the participation of Bulgaria’s ex-President Zhelyu Zhelev, Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, Honorary President of The Atlantic Club, and Roderick Moore, US Deputy Chief of Mission in Sofia, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- Dr. Kemal Beyoghlow, Professor of International Relations and National Security at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, delivers a public lecture on War Against Terrorism at the American Center in Sofia, organized by the Center and The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria.
- The Atlantic Club organizes a seminar on the Implementation of European and Atlantic Security Standards and its Effect on Bulgarian Society in Sofia.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, in cooperation with Pazardjik Municipality, organizes the Movie Bridge NATO-Bulgaria Film Festival, under the auspices of US Ambassador to Bulgaria James W. Pardew, in Pazardjik.
October
- A Club delegation, led by The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov, participates in the 48th ATA General Assembly in Istanbul. Bulgarian Foreign Minister, Solomon Passy, Honorary President of The Atlantic Club, joins the delegation.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a Round-Table Discussion on NATO Enlargement and the Process of Adapting the Alliance to the New Security Challenges in Sofia. British Government Report Iraqi Mass Destruction Weapons is published in Bulgarian by the Club and presented at the event. A round-table discusses the prospects for Bulgarian participation in possible Allied actions against the present Iraqi regime.
- The Atlantic Club organizes a farewell party in honour of Greece’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Michael Christides.
- Official launch of the Academic Refugee Studies Programme Initiative in Bulgaria, organized jointly by the Sofia Branch Office of the UNHCR and The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria on United Nations Day.
- NGO Report No. 3 on The Readiness of Bulgaria to Join NATO, commissioned by the Bulgarian Parliament and prepared by The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria jointly with the George C. Marshall Association, the Manfred Woerner Foundation, the Centre for National Security and Defence Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Economic Policy Institute, the Institute for Regional and International Studies, the Institute for Security and International Studies, the NATO Defence College Alumni Association and the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies Alumni Association.
- Round-Table Discussion on Terrorism Without Boundaries: Moscow Between New York and Prague, organized by The Atlantic Club, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a public lecture by Romania’s Prime Minister Adrian Nastase, at Sofia’s Kempinski Hotel Zografski.
- The Atlantic Club organizes a farewell party in honour of Israel’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Emanuel Zisman.
- Public lecture by Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, organized by The Atlantic Club, at Sofia’s National Archaeological Museum.
November
- Round-table discussion and presentation of NGO Report No. 3 on The Readiness of Bulgaria to Join NATO, commissioned by the Bulgarian Parliament and prepared by the NGO coalition led by The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria. The presentation is held in the National Assembly, co-organized by The Atlantic Club and the Parliamentary Foreign Policy, Defence and Security Committee.
- NATO Day in Panagyurishte, organized by The Atlantic Club, with the participation of Poland’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Jaroslaw Lindenberg. Optics Plant in Panagyurishte named “Atlantic.”
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria organizes a round-table discussion on The UN Security Council and Iraq: The Chance for Peace, with the participation of Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, Honorary President of The Atlantic Club, and ambassadors from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, at Sofia’s National Palace of Culture.
- The Atlantic Club organizes a public lecture by Romanian Defence Minister Ioan Mircea Pascu, at Sofia’s Kempinski Hotel Zografski.
- A Club delegation, led by The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov attends the NATO Summit in Prague.
- On occasion of a NATO Summit in Prague, The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, jointly with the Manfred Woerner Foundation, the NATO Information Centre and the Euro-Atlantic Youth Club, organizes the festive Atlantic Idea Celebration in Sofia, where an Atlantic Club Golden Award is presented to 12 persons for their outstanding contribution to the advancement of the Atlantic idea in Bulgaria.
- The Atlantic Club Chairman Dr. Lyubomir Ivanov is invited as a key-note speaker to the 12th Zappeion International Symposium, organized by the GAAEC in Athens.
December
- The Atlantic Club organizes a public lecture by Boris Y. Nemtsov, Floor Leader of the Union of Rightist Forces Group in the Russian State Duma, at the Sheraton Sofia Hotel.
- Round-table discussion on The Future of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Bulgarian Chairmanship-in-Office, organized by The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria at Sofia’s National Palace of Culture.
- The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, in cooperation with the Open Society Foundation, organizes the round-table discussion on Bulgaria at the Security Council: the First Year Summed Up, attended by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, Honorary President of The Atlantic Club. US Representative for Special Policy Questions at the UN Richard Williamson is a guest speaker at the event.
The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, jointly with the Manfred Woerner Foundation, the NATO Information Centre and the Euro-Atlantic Youth Club, organizes a traditional Christmas Party at Sofia’s Kempisnki Hotel Zografski
