“Said Petko Bocharov, a prominent Bulgarian journalist: ‘The fact that today Bulgaria is a member of NATO could happen only after the efforts of this great American president. His name will forever remain in history.’ … ‘For us, Reagan was important because we knew he was really anti-Communist, emotionally anti-Communist,’ said Zdenek Kosina, 65, a Czech computer specialist. ‘For us, he was a symbol of the United States’ genuine determination to bring communism to an end.’ Laurentiu Ivan, 35, a customs officer in the Romanian capital, struggled to describe Reagan’s legacy and then said: ‘It is due to him that we are free.'” (William J. Kole, “International reaction: ‘It is due to him that we are free'”, AP/Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Jun. 6).