Viktor Orbán: "It is a good feeling that there are people in Sofia who have the same opinion as us on the security of Europe and the protection of our Christian values".
The action takes place in October - at the Women's Market in Sofia, when only two months were separating us from Christmas and the first Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. In front of the Yakupov family's pottery shop, another foreigners stop. As it became clear later, they are part of a Hungarian delegation led by the Minister of Agriculture – Fazekas Sándor, visiting Bulgaria. They wanted to go to our famous Women's Market and the employees of the Hungarian embassy brought them.
At the very first moment, Zhoro, as everyone calls the master potter Georgi Yakupov, noticed the interest of the head of the group to the authentic Bulgarian works of folk crafts. And when he understood that they are Hungarians and that their purpose to be in Sofia is to show the Hungarian folk crafts, they immediately started a conversation. Here's what the craftsman told us: "Their leader looked at absolutely everything. He was impressed by the patterns of the pots and the plates, the colours of the table cloths ... Then I told them some things about the pottery in Bulgaria, the Troyan ceramics, and other styles. I saw their sincere interest and respect for my work and that is why I spontaneously made them a present - a plate, a tablecloth and a survachka.
And since within the group there was a person from their government, I shared that I am their supporter, that I respect their politics - both external and internal. I told him, "I'm here, in the marketplace, almost every day. I'm in contact with a lot of people - from all walks of life. And I can say that most of them like the policy your current government is guided by. The people were very happy with my words".
The potter also told them he wanted to personally give the presents to Viktor Orbán because: "He is your leader, he leads you. I endlessly respect this man because I see and read what he does. For me, this is the way we need to make policies in such countries as ours".
Some days passed. Employees from the embassy came and told him that there are gifts from Orbán for him. "Of course, I did not expect such a thing. For me that day was very important, I was very happy! I was honored by the leader of a country that I very much respect. It was a great honor for me. The people from the embassy told me they had to give it to me urgently, because Viktor Orbán wanted me to get the gift just on time for Nicholas Day - bottles of Tokaj wine. They brought me a letter from him as well, which at that moment was not the original, but a copy; I received the real one a few days later. And I put it in a frame".
Here is the letter. A brilliant example of respect, diplomacy and European values:
"Dear Mr. Georgi Vladimirov Yakupov!
In our lifetime we get different gifts. Some are simple, but they express pure intentions, and there are others - special, hand-made surprises, as a greeting, springing from sincere feelings, which bring an even greater spiritual value when coming from people with similar points of view and value system. It is a good feeling that there are people in Sofia who have the same opinion as us on the security of Europe and the protection of our Christian values.
Thank you for your kind gifts, allow me to wish you and your family further success and good health.
Budapest, 4 December 2017
With respect:
Viktor Orbán
Photograph: "Diplomatic Spectrum".
On it: Georgi Yakupov and his wife Elizabeth, in front of their shop at the Women's Market in Sofia, among the tablecloths, pottery and survachki ... In fact, the two are among the few in Bulgaria who know and keep the secrets of the pottery trade. They are heirs to the famous potter Elenko Dimitrov.
