Sofia, June 5 (BTA) - Bulgaria today expressed a deep concern over the recent escalation of the conflict in Bosnia-Hercegovina. The unfavourable development came in a moment when there was a tangible chance for ending the bloodshed and paving the way for an irreversible peaceful solution to the conflict, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry today said in an official statement. "As has already been stated on a number of occasions, Bulgaria consistently supports all constructive initiatives of the international community and particularly those of the contact group, seeking a peaceful, lasting and just political solution to the conflict, " the document goes on to say. The Foreign Ministry condemns all actions connected with taking "blue helmets" as hostages, and shelling population centres taking civilian victims. "We call for an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and elimination of the obstacles preventing UNPROFOR from carrying out its mandate. We reiterate our belief that using force as a way to overcome the Yugocrisis is inadmissible and futureless, " the statement reads in part.
Sofia, June 5 (BTA) President Zhelyu Zhelev today awarded outgoing Chinese Ambassador here Bay Choomien with the Order of the Balkan Range. The Chinese diplomat was decorated for his contribution in promoting Bulgarian- Chinese relations.
Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Mincho Koralski today left for Geneva to attend the 82nd regular session of the International Labour Organization.
A two-day conference opened here today to mark the 50th anniversary of the UN and the World Environment Day, June 5. It is held at the initiative of the Interecoclub set up in Vienna in 1988.
An exhibition on "National Parks Across the World" opened in Bansko, Southern Bulgaria, as part of the events marking the World Environment Day. The exhibition was arranged by the management of the Pirin National Park and presents the national parks of some 40 countries. The Pirin Park is on UNESCO's list for Bulgaria.
The fifth national seminar on "Civilian Education" ended in Primorsko, on the Black Sea. It was co-organized by the UNESCO Department at the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, the Central Institute for Teachers Training and the Open Education Centre with the Open Society Foundation.
Five British police officer today arrived in Sliven, Southern Bulgaria, to acquaint themselves with the minorities-related problems facing this town, known with its large Gypsy community. The data they will compile will be used for drawing up a programme to help local police work with minorities.
The Kingdom of Bulgaria Federation nominated its first candidate for the local elections this autumn, said BTA's correspondent in Varna (on the Black Sea). Bulgaria's former ambassador to Britain and foreign minister, Ivan Stancioff, will run in the elections for Varna's mayor.
420 airplanes made of wood in the scale of 1 to 1, 000 were displayed at the Dolna Mitropoliya Air Forces School in Northern Bulgaria, by Kiro Zahariev. Zahariev wants to see his name in the Guinness Book of Records once the 500th airplane is ready.
Bulgaria and the Republic of South Africa signed three cooperation accords and an agreement on promotion of ties in arts, sports and science, said Reuters. Bulgaria Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski is one a three-day visit to South Africa at the invitation of his South African counterpart Alfred Nzo.
The Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Vidin, on the Danube, instructed sanitary inspectors on the three check points in the region - the Ferry Service on the border with Romania, and Vrushka Chouka and Bregovo on the border with Serbia - how to act in case of cholera suspicions. Sources of the Institute reportedly said there is no danger for cholera to enter Bulgaria from Romania.
Minister of Justice Mladen Chervenyakov today left for Bucharest to attend a traditional informal meeting of European Justice Ministers organized by the Council of Europe. Minister Chervenyakov will speak on the role of the Council on Legislation with the Ministry of Justice in managing the legislative initiative. He will stress the Council's functions as a body in charge of keeping Bulgarian laws in line with European legislation.
"Priorities of Space Technologies" was atop the agenda of the third working meeting and conference on sustainable development held under the auspices of the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria. Discussions are held in three sections: biomedical space studies, space monitoring and high technologies. Co-organizers of the forum are the Bulgarian Space Agency and the Union Atlantic Club Ltd. Equipment design, high information technologies, meteorology, space ecology and biology are among the priorities in the work of the Institute of Space Studies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Boris Bonev, President of the Bulgarian Space Agency, said at the opening of the forum.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation Kiril Tsochev will express Bulgaria's stand on the White Paper of the Council of Europe (CE) at tomorrow's meeting of Ministers of Trade in Luxembourg. Tsochev said upon his departure that the participants will discuss the place of this document in the policies of the separate countries and express their views on how to harmonize the separate countries' laws. Attending will be the Ministers of Trade of the CE members states and the six associated members. Bulgaria's Association Agreement took effect as of February 5, 1995.
The first national banking forum on "Banking Technologies'95" opened in Plovdiv, Southern Bulgaria, this evening. Addressing the forum, National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov said Bulgaria could accomplish the transition to a market economy only if there is a stable banking system.
The Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church today opened its summer session. It is expected to review the letters of repentance by three expelled metropolitans - Pimen, Kalinik and Pankrati, and appoint teachers for the Seminary for the coming academic year.
Sofia, June 5 (BTA) - Prosecutor General Ivan Tatarchev today said the officials who allowed Socialist MP Andrei Loukanov, two times prime minister in 1990, to travel abroad should be punished. Speaking to BTA, Tatarchev said that whoever allowed Loukanov to leave the country broke the law. He recalled that Loukanov, who is under investigation, was barred from travelling abroad by the Prosecutor's Office. On June 2 Loukanov returned from Paris. Press reports claimed he was in Moscow for a meeting of the shareholders of the Bulgarian-Russian gas company Top Energy, whose shares are split fifty-fifty between Bulgargas and Russia's Gazprom. Later on it emerged that the shareholders' meeting was scheduled for July 2. Tatarchev's statement today may prevent Loukanov from leaving for Moscow. Andrei Loukanov faces charges of extending state funds in grant aid to developing countries between 1981 and 1989 on the grounds that they had grave financial difficulties, which had dire consequences for Bulgaria's economy. Twenty-two former members and alternate members of the state and Communist Party top leadership are charged in what came to be known as Case No 3. The offence carries 10 to 30 years in prison on conviction. Third World countries reportedly received 250 million dollars in financing and arms supplies. In March 1992 Loukanov was banned from travelling abroad. Under the Constitution, Bulgarian deputies are immune from arrest and prosecution unless Parliament gives its consent. On a motion by the Prosecutor General, Parliament lifted Loukanov's immunity on July 7, 1992 and two days later he was arrested. On December 30, 1992, Parliament voted to have him released on bail. Meanwhile, the "Loukanov case" was referred for consideration to the Council of Europe and the competent EU institutions. At a meeting on January 12, 1995, attended by Loukanov, the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commission decided that it could not accept the stance of the official Bulgarian authorities on the case. According to the Commission, his arrest had been unwarranted. Loukanov has been abroad four times since he was barred from leaving the country in 1992 according to press reports.
Sofia, June 6 (Iva Toncheva of BTA) - Five years after democratic reforms were launched in Bulgaria, this country still has no electronic media act. National Radio and National Television are often accused of partiality by politicians of different parties. "I cannot but admit that there are serious claims to the leadership of National Radio and National Television, Klara Marinova, Deputy Chairman of the parliamentary Radio and Television Committee, said in a recent interview. According to Marinova, who is MP of the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), this is evident from the numerous statements made at annual meetings and conferences of the BSP. An interim radio and television committee was set up already in the Grand National Assembly (1990-1991) and was to cease its activities upon the passing of a radio and television law. But the media committee continued its existence throughout the next Parliament (1991-1994) and in the present Parliament. This committee is also in charge of BTA. Recently the committee started discussing radio and television bill drafts. One bill was moved by Klara Marinova, former TV journalist and MPs of the BSP and another by Evgeni Mihailov, film director, and MPs of the largest opposition force - the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF). Mihailov is an MP of the UDF. Both drafts provide for the setting up of a National Radio and Television Council. According to the draft of the UDF, it is to have 33 members, and according to the Socialists' draft, 9 members. At the discussions, which were attended by journalists, it was pointed out that both drafts do not clarify the functions of the council. A journalist of the private Viva radio station called the provision for the council to impose disciplinary sanctions on private media absurd. According to both drafts, the council issues licences for radio and television programmes. According to the "Marinova" draft, the council grants and withdraws licences to radio and television companies, while according to the "Mihailov" draft, it sets the conditions for receiving licenses. The "Mihailov" draft has a special section titled "tasks of the programmes", requiring that news on the national radio and television be "thorough, impartial, independent and accurate". The "Marinova" draft says that each programme should comply with the requirements of fair competition and objective presentation of controversial opinions and popularize the cultural and material values of the Bulgarian people." Both drafts provide for a distinction between reports and commentaries. Both drafts have clauses regulating cable TV. There are special texts on sponsorship and advertising on the national media. According to the "Marinova" draft, at least 30% of the national radio and national television programmes should be Bulgarian. The two media are obliged to broadcast and finance educational programmes which would entitle them to 20% tax concessions. Both projects oblige the electronic media to record and keep their programmes for three months ("Mihailov") or 90 calendar days ("Marinova"). Radosvet Radev, leader of the private "Darik" radio station, called for equality between the state and private media. On behalf of the Association of Private Radio Stations, he proposed the inclusion of a text restricting the right of National Radio to broadcast advertisements because of its being state- financed. The term "mixed public and state electronic media" in the "Marinova" draft has also given rise to heated debates. The discussions are expected to continue.
Sofia, June 5 (BTA) - Two Turkish fishing boats were detected crossing Bulgaria's sea border at 9.20 a.m. yesterday, the Interior Ministry said. The border violation was located at a point 5 km north of the Rezovska River and 16 km east of Cape Rezovo. At 11.30 a.m. a Bulgarian patrol boat caught the fishermen in the act of casting their nets. After a short pursuit, the Turkish boats left this country's territorial sea at 11.45 a.m. The incident has been reported to the Foreign Ministry. In March, Prime Minister Zhan Videnov told Parliament that 12 foreign vessels, most of them Turkish or of the CIS, had violated Bulgaria's sea border this year. This offence carries a maximum fine of 5, 000 leva (about 75 dollars) under Bulgarian law.
Sofia, June 5 (BTA) - Austria may invest in the second bridge across the Danube, which Bulgaria and Romania intend to construct, the press says, quoting Deputy Prime Minister Kiril Tsochev as saying on his return from Vienna yesterday. The "Bulgaria" hotel in Sofia and part of Bulgaria's metallurgy production have also attracted the interest of Austrian businessmen, the dailies say.
Personal time deposits have gone up 5, 000 million leva in May, "Standart News" says. There are 205, 000 million leva in personal time deposits; foreign currency deposits amount to 62, 000 million leva.
Foreign currency deposits have gone down 400 million leva in the last week of May, "Continent" says.
A national banking forum "Banking Technologies '95" opens today in Plovdiv (Southern Bulgaria), "Continent" says. Representatives of the banking sector will hold meetings with the bank servicing companies. The forum will also stage a discussion on the unification of banking standards in connection with the recently introduced national chart of accounts.
The dailies report that milk producers are continuing their protests. They are not satisfied with a purchase price of 10 leva/l and insist that it be inrcreased to 12 leva/l, "Continent" says.
The financial daily "Pari" runs an interview with Sofia mayor Alexander Yanchoulev about the financial difficulties of the Sofia municipality.