US embassy cable - 05SOFIA423

UNCLAS SOFIA 000423 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASCH, PREL, KTIA, BU 
SUBJECT: BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES ANGLO-AMERICAN SCHOOL 
AGREEMENT 
 
REF: (A) 04 SOFIA 1416, (B) SOFIA 376 
 
1.   After months of intensive lobbying by Embassy Sofia, the 
Parliament ratified with an overwhelming majority March 1 the 
U.S.-Bulgarian agreement defining the legal status of the 
Anglo-American School (AAS) in Sofia.  With its status 
defined in law, AAS can now begin construction of a new 
campus in the suburbs of Sofia. 
 
2.   Ratification of the agreement, which was officially 
signed in July 2004 (ref A), confirms the school's status as 
a Bulgarian legal entity.  Institutionally the school is 
separate from the Bulgarian educational system, operates 
under its own charter and has received substantial tax-free 
privileges. 
 
3.   While several foreign schools have been operating in 
Bulgaria without formal recognition from the Bulgarian 
Government, AAS is the first foreign school to be chartered 
in Bulgaria under an international agreement.  Since 
recognition of AAS was viewed as a precedent, the agreement 
underwent more than two years of bureaucratic scrutiny.  In 
the end, we were able to alleviate some officials' concerns 
of possible contravention of the Bulgarian Constitution.  One 
of the concerns raised was the school's right to own land 
through its status as a Bulgarian legal entity, mirroring the 
recent debate about amending the Constitution to allow 
foreigners to own land (ref B). 
 
4.   Ratification of the agreement will also allow AAS to 
secure bank financing and begin construction of its new 
campus.  We anticipate the new school will open 2006-2007 for 
grades preK-9, with plans for a full high school over time. 
Currently, AAS goes through grade 8.