Giwrgos Kapodistrias
From: bulgaria@access1.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria)
Subject: BTA inf/Mar. 30, 95
EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY
BULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIA
Sofia, March 29- "Mass Privatization Might Be Launched In a Year," reads the headline of an interview with Ass.Prof. Yosif Iliev, Director of the Centre for Mass Privatization published in today's issue of the "Cash" business weekly. The legal framework for mass privatization should be ready by June, although certain issues may have to be settled as they arise, the paper quotes unnamed experts as saying. Mass privatization will be applied to an average 30 per cent of the enterprised on the list, which is to be drafted by September, 1994, Mr Iliev says. The Czech model may have to be completed with voucher transformation into shares on a national stock exchange. The Centre does not plan to include stock exchanges in the privatization scheme, the financial daily "Pari" however says, reporting about a seminar on privatization, held by the organisation.
At a meeting of the foreign trade ministers of the states within the Central European Initiative, dedicated to the small and medium-sized enterprizes, Bulgaria was recommended to pursue a more active policy in the field of small and medium businesses, environment protection, transport and telecommunications, if it wishes to become member of the European Union, Ivan Belchev, Deputy Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation, who lead the Bulgarian delegation at the forum, told "Continent".
Bulgaria may become a bridge for Greek commodities on their way to the CIS and Eastern European markets, says Greek Trade Representative Mr Georgius Doudoumis, interviewed for "Continent". Bulgaria ranks sixth in the Greek exports at present (480 million US dollars in 1994), but tends to take a higher position, Mr Doudoumis says.
Russia is willing to allow Bulgaria resume lumbering operations on its territory, Georgi Stenin, Chairman of the Committee of Forestry told "24 Chassa". Mr Stenin returned from negotiations in Moscow with the Russian wood manufacturer Rosslesproom. The lumbering factory in Komi was declared in liquidation in 1991 but the agreement with Russia was terminated only on the part of Bulgaria. In late 1994 the Committee of Forestry suggested that the agreement be renewed, the daily recalls.
Bulgaria showed an adverse balance of trade in farm produce with the European Union in 1994. Bulgaria's supplies for the EU represent 20 per cent of its total farm exports, while the EU accounts for 50 per cent of the country's imports of farm products. "This is a new phenomenon in the commercial relations between Bulgaria and the EU," Mrs Antoaneta Simova of the Ministry of Agriculture commented for "Standart News". The Bulgarian traders do not avail of the preferential quotas, granted by the Union, the daily notes.
This year's edition of the fair of tourism and leisure time was opened today in Varna (on the Black Sea) and will last until April 1, "Pari" says. The organisers, Tourexpo Ltd and New Balkan Tours Agency, claim that some 200 Bulgarian companies and their partners from similar fairs in Russia, Ukraine and Italy will take part in the event. According to the daily the fair will also show an exhibition of construction technologies for tourism.
Sofia, March 29 - A military delegation led by Chief of General Staff Colonel General Tsvetan Totomirov today left for a three-day visit to Hungary.
Bulgarian and Hungarian officials are expected to discuss the military contacts 1994 and sign a programme for miltary cooperation between the Defence Ministries of Bulgaria and Hungary in 1995. The sides will also discuss logistics-related matters.
Sofia, March 29 (BTA) - NATO Assistant Secretary General in charge of defence and planning policy Anthony Cragg arrived on a working visit here today at the invitation of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence. The NATO official will take part in bilateral consultations on Bulgaria's participation in Partnership for Peace.
The guest is expected to meet Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov and Deputy Defence Minister in charge of military-political matters Dimiter Mitkov. The NATO official will also meet the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, Nikolai Dobrev, and the Head of the President's Military Office, Major General Stefan Dimitrov.
Sofia, March 29 - Today the National Assembly proceeded with the second reading of the amendments to the Land Act. There were heated disputes on the proposal that arable land owners wishing to sell their land offer it first to the state at prices fixed by the Government. According to the parliamentary group of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), the passing of this text would impede the setting up of a land market. Parliament will continue debates on the controversial texts in the Land Act at its next sitting. Today Parliament passed on first reading three bills on the judicial system: on the amendment of the Penal Code, on the amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure and on the amendment of the Act on the Execution of Punishments. All three bills were moved by the Government.
The "Capitain Birot" frigate of the French naval forces is expected to arrive at Port Varna on March 31, 1995, the Information and Public Relations Department of the Bulgarian Naval Forces announced today. The frigate will leave Varna on April 4 after a several-hour navigation exercises with ships of the Varna naval base.
The Congress of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Union of Macedonian Societies (IMRO-UMS) which ended last weekend, adopted a decision to set up a special centre in Kurdjali (Southern Bulgaria) for assisting the training of children from Bessarabia, the Western Outlands, Eastern Thrace and Albania, Momchil Petrov, IMRO-UMS Coordinator for the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, announced today.
The contacts between the Parliaments of Bulgaria and Turkey could be further promoted by organizing more frequent meetings and talks not only at official level but also between individual MPs of all parliamentary groups. This opinion was expressed today at a meeting between National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov and Turkish Ambassador here Yalcin Oral, who is the doyen of the diplomatic corps in Bulgaria. The two sides discussed possibilities for closer contacts between the foreign policy committees of the two parliaments. In the Turkish diplomat's view, the contacts between the supreme legislative bodies of Bulgaria and Turkey are lagging behind against the background of the broadening contacts between the two countries in different spheres.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Roumen Gechev and Iranian Ambassador here Mohammed Ali Kormi Nouri discussed today possibilities for activating bilateral economic relations. Gechev acquainted the diplomat with the privatization programme and with aspects of the Government's macroeconomic policy.
Former National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinksi, arrives in Sofia to participate in the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation International Conference on the Balkans that will take place from March 31 - April 2. Mr Brzezinski is currently affiliated with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.