Bulgaria Donated an Oak Lectern to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague

A solid oak lectern made by the 'Trevnenska Shkola' National School of Applied Arts in Tryavna was donated by Bulgaria today to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

The donation was presented by Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova, who is on an official visit to the Netherlands, to the court’s Secretary-General, Marcin Czepelak. The special ceremony took place in the historic Peace Palace, which is also home to the International Court of Justice and The Hague Academy of International Law.

Bulgaria is one of the 26 founding states of the court, as noted at the ceremony by Velislava Petrova and Marcin Czepelak.

The lectern will become part of the interior of the Peace Palace, where it will showcase Bulgaria’s artistic tradition alongside donations from nearly 40 other countries. Its design combines the logo of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague with ornaments inspired by Bulgarian National Revival woodcarving.

Among those attending the ceremony were Santiago Villalpando, Secretary of the International Court of Justice; Prof Ekaterina Trendafilova, President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office; Erik Weststrate, Ambassador for International Organisations at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Orfey Mindov, Director of the Trevnenska Shkola National School of Applied Arts.

“International law is not an abstract ideal. It is our common protection against instability, confrontation and the imposition of force. Even the most difficult differences can be resolved through law, dialogue and mutual respect,” Minister Petrova said.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister stressed that more than 125 years after its establishment, the Permanent Court of Arbitration remains an important pillar of the international legal order and provides mechanisms for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Bulgaria is one of the 26 states that established the court under the 1899 Hague Convention and continues to reaffirm its commitment to peace and the principles of international law.

In his address, the court’s Secretary-General, Marcin Czepelak, recalled the role of Bulgarian diplomat Dr Dimitar Stanchov, who, together with military attaché Konstantin Papadopov, represented Bulgaria at the First Hague Peace Conference in 1899, which laid the foundations for the court. A photograph of the two men at the conference was displayed in the room where the ceremony took place.

Bulgaria was also among the 44 countries that took part in the Second Hague Peace Conference in 1907. The Hague Conventions – a series of important international treaties – laid the foundations for modern international humanitarian law and private international law.

The foundation stone of the Peace Palace was laid in 1907 during the Second Hague Peace Conference, when participating countries were called upon to contribute to the newly planned “temple of peace”. Nearly 40 countries responded, donating building materials, interior furnishings and works of art. They included Italy, which donated marble for the main foyer; Germany, which provided solid wrought-iron entrance gates; Sweden and Norway, which supplied granite for the building’s exterior cladding; Switzerland, which donated a clock for the central tower; Japan, which provided silk wall tapestries; China, which donated valuable porcelain vases; Denmark, which supplied a porcelain fountain; and Turkey, which donated a handwoven Hereke carpet. The stained-glass windows were donated by various countries, each depicting themes associated with law and peace.

Nearly 113 years after the Peace Palace opened its doors in 1913, Bulgaria now also has a presence there through its own donation.