site.btaInternational Conference on "Communist Secret Services: Myths and Realities"

International Conference on "Communist Secret Services: Myths and Realities"

Sofia, November 25 (BTA) - Addressing an international conference on "Communist Secret Services: Myths and Realities", Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova said that if modern security services that meet today's requirements are to be created, Bulgaria should be able to draw a clear line between myths and realities.

The forum was organized by the Committee on Disclosure of Documents and Announcing Bulgarian Citizens' Affiliation to State Security and the Intelligence Services of the Bulgarian People's Army.

Buchvarova added that the subject of the conference was very well defined because people tended to forget the nightmare caused by misuse of information. "It is very important that the past must not overshadow the present," she said.

The policy of openness and truthfulness is the best regulator of democracy in a country, said Buchvarova.

Evtim Kostadinov, Chairman of the Committee on Disclosure of Documents, said it had disclosed the affiliation to the socialist-era security services of about 12,500 people, of whom 10,100 had been made known to the public. More than 10,000 researchers and members of the public have shown interest in the archive documents.

An exhibition entitled "De-Stalinization - the Dilemma of a Controversial Decade (1953-1964)" opened on Wednesday.