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Simeon Mitropolitski is a Canadian analyst, of Bulgarian origin, and a former syndicated columnist with the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). He is the author of several hundred articles dealing with hot political and economic topics, both national and international.
He was part of the first group of Bulgarian intellectuals and students that began the opposition movement that finally put an end to the communist regime in this country in 1989, and in 1996-1997 participated in international observation teams during the elections in several Balkan countries - Romania, Albania and Bulgaria.
In 2002 Simeon and his family moved from Bulgaria to Canada where they live now in Montreal, province of Quebec. Simeon is a Master of Political Science from McGill University and a B.A. of Political Science and History.
Global Real Estate Project
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Moldova: One Reason To Go ThereIt's surprising how fast one country can be nicknamed, reducing the richness of its culture and the diversity of its people, into 2-3 standard clichés. On the one hand, this reduction often reflects a certain quality of a given nation, but on the other hand, it hides some other things that don't fit with these clichés. Take for example Moldova, a small country situated between Ukraine and Romania. To believe the media reports, it's a hell: just poverty, corruption, thousands of orphan children*, an illegal drugs' cross point and a source of cheap flesh for the European sex industry. Add to that the fear of territorial break-up and the communist president and you have everything not to whish to go there. These media reports represent a certain portion of truth, but they don't say everything about Moldova, its people and its charms. First, let's talk a little about the country's recent history. During the last century Russian and Romanian forces occupied it alike. It wasn't until 1991 that Moldova became independent from the USSR, but the Russian forces remained on its territory east of the Dniest River, supporting the Slavic (Russian and Ukrainian) minority**. In fact since then the country has been politically and economically divided. It's one of the poorest states in Europe and the first former Soviet republic to elect a communist as a president in 2001. Despite its picturesque nature, Moldova hasn't been able to attract significant number of foreign tourists and the massive exodus of young and qualified people has reduced the market demand, making all the goods and services very cheap for those foreigners who dare to visit the country. To be there you need to be at least a little adventurous person and to be ready to forget about some contemporary conveniences. But this country has at least one hidden asset that can't be discovered without making a short trip there. Almost all foreigners who have recently visited Moldova agree that it has some of the best vineyards in Europe and what is more spectacular, a bottle of good red wine costs just $1-2. I doubt the consumers in EU could soon appreciate this wine. Why? First, that is because the European market is flooded with its own good-quality wines and surrounded by protective barriers; secondly, because Moldova's soil for decades has been heavily contaminated with DDT and other herbicides. So the market for these wines is mostly limited to Russia, Ukraine and Romania and as a consequence the prices are at this low. For those who would like to spend a week or two tasting from many bottles of good cheap wine (some foreigners go to Moldova only for that), here are some practical advice before packing the suitcases. First, all foreigners need a visa, even if they're the US, Canadian or EU citizens. If you're a citizen of the above-mentioned countries, this fact will mean that you don't need having some special letter of invitation. If you're not, check how to get a Moldovan visa. Second, don't take credit cards with you or traveler's checks, in Moldova the best way of payment is in cash. The smaller denominations ($5-10 notes) are strongly recommended. Third, stay away from anything that looks like a political demonstration; in this country they could be very violent. Forth, stay away from the Transdniestrian region, where the Slavic minority has self-proclaimed its own republic. The life there could be more expensive and besides even the wine there wasn't told to be so good.
----- ** - Russia committed itself to fully take out the armaments and ammunition from Moldovian territory by the end of 2002. The term was later extended to December 31, 2003.
Country profile:(Source: CIA - World Factbook 2002) --------------------
See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Moldova.
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