News from Bulgaria / Jan. 9, 1996

From: bulgaria@access1.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria)

Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory

CONTENTS

EMBASSY OF BULGARIA WASHINGTON D.C.

BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY

[01] CONDOLENCES ON THE DEATH OF EX-PRESIDENT MITTERRAND

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev sent a message to French President Jacques Chirac expressing condolences on the death of France's ex-president Fracois Mitterrand.

"I had the honour and pleasure to meet Francois Mitterrand many times and he always showed great interest and concern about Bulgaria's problems and development," President Zhelev says in his message.

"I feel bereaved both as a person and as Bulgaria's President," the message reads.

President Zhelev extended his condolences to the wife of the deceased, Danielle Mitterrand.

"Offering their condolences on the death of the great statesman and France's long-year president Francois Mitterrand, the Bulgarian parliamentarians sympathize with the French people in their bereavement," Blagovest Sendov, Chairman of the Bulgarian National Assembly, says in his message to Philippe Seguin, President of the French National Assembly.

"The late Francois Mitterrand left his deep imprint not only on the history of France but on the attainment of a noble ideal - the building of single democratic Europe. He will also be remembered as an unwavering supporter of the democratic processes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria. His contribution to the promotion of parliamentary democracy in Europe and the world will never be forgotten," Sendov says in his message.

"Bulgaria's Government is deeply grieved over the death of the prominent statesman of modern France, Francois Mitterrand," it is said in a declaration by the Bulgarian Government on the death of France's long-year president.

"Francois Mitterrand was a brilliant statesman who selflessly defended France's national ideals. He combined these ideals with the ideal of a single Europe. Immediately after the fall of the Berlin wall, Mitterrand launched the idea of creating a new type of relations, confederative in essence, including all countries on the continent. He put special stress on the rapid integration of the East European countries into the European political and economic structures," the declaration says.

"Francois Mitterrand did not conceal his kindly feelings for Bulgaria. His visit to Sofia in January 1989 left a lasting imprint at a moment when the democratic processes in Bulgaria's political life were gathering momentum. He made a personal contribution to the expansion of Bulgarian-French relations in the last years. He played a considerable role in Bulgaria's integration with the world francophone community too," the declaration says.

The Bulgarian Government extended its condolences to the wife of the deceased, Danielle Mitterrand.

Zhan Videnov, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, sent a message to the leader of the French Socialist Party, Lionel Jospin, expressing condolences on the death of Francois Mitterand on behalf of the BSP Supreme Council.

"The bulgarian Soclialists highly appreciate Mitterrand's role in the development of relations between France and Bulgaria, in the advancement of the democratic process in Bulgaria and in the building of a single, stable and prospering Europe," the message says.

Ivan Kostov, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces, sent a letter to Mrs Danielle Mitterrand expressing condolences for the death of her distinguished husband on behalf of the UDF.

"President Mitterrand did a lot for the promotion of democracy in Bulgaria. He played a significant role in Bulgaria's reunion with the family of European democracies," the letter says.

[02] MEETING OF GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - Bulgaria undertakes to modernize its nuclear installations gradually, in compliance with the European standards. The decision was made at today's meeting of the Government Committee on European Integration presided over by Prime Minister Zhan Videnov. The results of the meeting were announced by the Government Press Office.

The Committee accepted a report on the meeting with representatives of the European commission on nuclear safety and on European Union aid under PHARE drawn by Konstantin Roussinov, Chairman of the Energy Committee, and Yanko Yanev, Chairman of the Committee for Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. Bulgaria will insist on a considerable increase of the funds floated under PHARE, the Government Press Office said.

The participants considered a report by Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski. Bulgaria's intention is to activate the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Central European Initiative.

Minister Pirinski's report was on Bulgaria's policy for regional stabilization, security and cooperation. It included positions on the military and civil aspects and on the economic recovery in the implementation of the peace accords in the former Yugoslavia, as well as initiatives for regional security and stability. The possibilities for a more active joint activity at the level of foreign ministers were discussed for the purpose of establishing lasting cooperation among the Balkan and the Danubian countries, the Government Press Office said.

Interior Minister Nachev and Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski presented a report on the participation of Bulgarian civilians, unarmed policemen, in the United Nations international police force in Bosnia. The UN international police force will help to form a civilian police in Bosnia, and the Council of Ministers will pronounce itself on the Bulgarian participation these days, the Government Press Office went on to say.

The meeting discussed a report by Defence Minister Dimiter and Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski on the possibilities for Bulgaria's participation in the forces implementing the peace accords in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Press Office said.

The Government Committee on European Integration accepted a report by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation Kiril tsochev on the consultations on Bulgarian- Turkish trade in textile products. The result of the consultations is the memorandum on trade in textile products and clothing signe dby the governments of the two countries, the Government Press Office said.

[03] MASS PRIVATIZATION STARTS TODAY

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - Registration of voucher books for mass privatization starts in all post offices across the country today. All adult Bulgarians will be able to get a voucher book with 25,000 investment leva, entitling them to participate in the three sessions of the auction for acquisition of shares. Some 6.7 million adult Bulgarians can participate in mass privatization.

Bulgarians have three months to buy their voucher books, and one more to transfer them to relatives, should they like to do so. Under the programme for mass privatization, information about the enterprises whose shares will be floated in the first session of the auction should be published in May so that people can make their choice. The information about the 1,063 enterprises included in the list for mass privatization is being prepared by experts of the Centre for Mass Privatization.

The first, centralized, session of the auction will take place in the summer, and participants can expect the first dividends towards late 1997, experts say.

The first who want to register and buy their vouchers books are already lined up in the post offices, BTA correspondents across the country reported today. Postal workers expect that the greatest surge in registration will be in March when the privatization awareness campaign has picked up. For the time being, it is mostly pensioners who queue to register their voucher books as today they receive their pensions at the post offices. In the afternoon today, Chief of the Centre for Mass Privatization Kalin Mitrev will register at the Central Post Office. Mitrev expects that at least three quarters of adult Bulgarians will exercise their right to participate in mass privatization. He is an optimist despite the fact that according to the opinion polls conducted so far, only 25 per cent of the respondents have sufficient information about the forthcoming mass privatization.

Several hundred people visited the Mass Privatization Information Centre in the first two days after its opening last week. The people's interest exceeded the expectations of the organizers and the promotion material proved insufficient.

[04] BAD WEATHER PREVENTS DEPUTY PM GECHEV FROM

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - The flight of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Roumen Gechev to Baltimore was postponed today because of the snow storms along the eastern coast of the US. Mr Gechev has been invited to attend the traditional East-West Conference of economy and trade ministers. The flight has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

In Baltimore Deputy Prime Minister Gechev is expected to meet Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown and Assistant Secretary Richard Holbrooke in charge of issues related to the postwar reconstruction of the former Yugoslavia.

In Washington Gechev will meet senior representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. "I would like to obtain first hand information on their opinion of the package of documents moved by Bulgaria related to the signing of the next agreement," Gechev said. He expressed his belief that these meetings will contribute to the preparation, including the psychological preparation, of the IMF mission due to arrive in Bulgaria on January 22.

[05] BUSINESS PRESS

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - The dollar will continue to edge up against the lev this week, most dailies say quoting experts. In the first days of January it rose by 1.25 leva, "Troud" writes. Dealers say its strengthening was due to the large idle leva resources held by the banks.

The central bank's foreign exchange reserves dropped to 1,270 million leva late in 1995 as the bank intervened in the forex market to control the rise in the dollar against the lev, "Standart News" says, quoting the bank's Foreign Exchange Operations Department.

The foreign exchange reserve is facing difficult times, "Banker" says.

The Bulgarian-Russian Investment Bank (BRIB) estimates its 1995 profit at 75 million leva, says "Pari" quoting BRIB Director Emil Kyulev, who was reelected at a shareholders' meeting on Saturday.

Deloitte Touche was appointed as the bank's international auditor.

In January the Cabinet is expected to consider amendments to the Protection of Competition Act, said Hristo Avramov of the Commission on Competition quoted in "Douma".

The National Electric Company (NEC) owes 20 million dollars to Moscow for nuclear fuel supplied last year to the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant (on the Danube), "24 Chassa" says.

In 1996 NEC will buy nuclear fuel worth 123 million dollars. The Belgian corporation Interbrew holds controlling interests in Astika, Burgasko Pivo and Kamenitsa, some of Bulgaria's major brewers.

Two big Plovdiv-based companies, the shoe-manufacturer Flavia and a cannery, will tender for supplies to NATO peacekeepers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[06] BSP SUPREME COUNCIL ON OPPOSITION'S DEMAND FOR

Sofia, January 1 (BTA) - At a meeting today the Executive Bureau of the Supreme Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the leadership of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Left decided to propose to the Democratic Left MPs to cast their votes against the opposition's no confidence motion. The meeting also decided to suggest that parliamentary debates be directly broadcast on national television and radio, time for statements be not limited and a secret vote on the motion be taken.

The opposition made a motion on Friday for a vote of no confidence in Zhan Videnov's Socialist Cabinet, accusing it of plunging this country into a grain crisis by liberalizing exports before securing enough grain and flour to meet domestic demand. On Friday evening it was announced that Parliament Chairman Blagovest Sendov called a regular sitting for January 9 although Parliament's recess ends on January 11.

During the discussions Bulgarian citizens will receive guarantees for their future and those who bear the responsibility will take it, BSP Spokesman Nikolai Kamov said. According to him, attempts have been made within and outside BSP to dictate what to do. However, this has been done by people who evade responsibility.

"It is not fatal to make changes in the Council of Ministers line- up," Dragomir Shopov, Deputy Floor Leader of the Democratic Left said answering a journalist question. This is valid especially in the cases when outrageous things, such as corruption and abuse of office, are done on behalf of the ruling coalition, Kamov stated.

Already on Saturday the Executive Bureau of the BSP Supreme Council considered the opposition's motion for a no confidence vote in the Cabinet, Klara Marinova, Spokesperson for the Socialist Party, told journalists. This started the analysis of the one year tenure of the incumbent Government. The leaderships of the BSP coalition partners, the Alexnader Stamboliiski Bulgarian Agrarian National Union and the Ecoglasnost Political Club, decided to support the Government at their meeting on Saturday.