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News from Bulgaria, 96-10-08Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Embassy of Bulgaria <bulgaria@access1.digex.net>EMBASSY OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY8 October, 1996CONTENTS
[01] BULGARIA - YUGOSLAVIA TRANSPORT TIESSofia, October 7 (BTA) - The strengthening of bilateral relations in the field of trade, the economy and tourism requires more active cooperation in the sphere of transport, Deputy Transport Minister Vassil Rangelov told reporters here today, speaking about the conclusions of the meeting of the joint Bulgarian-Yugoslav commission which took place in Belgrade late last week.Post-embargo Yugoslavia is a reliable trade partner; the share of Bulgarian goods currently stands at nearly two thirds of Yugoslavia's overall commercial exchange, Rangelov said. Bulgaria is making definite profits as a result of the reduced tolls: by 30 per cent for car transport and by 40 per cent for coach transport, through Yugoslavia, Rangelov said. He assessed in highly positive terms the decision of the Yugoslav side to grant Bulgaria 5,000 new transit permits for 1996. The commission also made an exception to issue 1,000 bilateral permits free of charge. The working projects for the construction of a trunk road between Nis (Yugoslavia) and Dimitrovgrad (Southern Bulgaria) have been completed, the Yugoslav officials told the meeting. The sides are holding talks to streamline customs checks. Rangelov said also that the negotiations on the reopening of the Sofia-Belgrade air service have entered an advanced stage. According to him, the service will not yield large profits but will intensify business contacts. A Serb delegation of the joint sub-commission on transport is expected to visit Bulgaria in early November. The sides will sign bilateral agreements on road and rail transport, Bulgarian Transport Ministry officials told the press. [02] KAZAKH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN BULGARIASofia, October 7 (BTA) - A Kazakh parliamentary delegation led by the chairman of the lower house of Parliament Marat Ospanov today arrived on a four-day official visit here. The delegation met with National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov (at whose invitation it is visiting), with President Zhelyu Zhelev and Prime Minister Zhan Videnov. It will hold talks with officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Trade and Foreign Economic Relations. This is the first visit by MPs from Kazakhstan after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992.The relations between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan reached a standstill in the last few years. The best year for economic relations was 1987. Then some 46 Bulgarian companies exported to Kazakhstan 53 kinds of goodscosmetics, household appliances, ready-to-wear clothing, cigarettes, wines, etc. Kazakhstan exported to Bulgaria steel and other metals and machine tools. In 1993 the countries regulated relations with a treaty for friendship and cooperation signed in Kazakhstan by Presidents Zhelyu Zhelev and Nursultan Nazarbaev. The two countries also signed an agreement which marked the start of official trade and economic cooperation. [03] INTERNATIONAL COURSE IN EUROPEAN SECURITYSofia, October 7 (BTA) - An international course in Europe's new security architecture opened at the International Scientists' Centre in the St Constantine resort on the Black Sea today, BTA's Varna correspondent reported. It will be attended by officers and diplomats from 16 countries. The course is part of Bulgaria's individual programme under Partnership for Peace and is organized by the Research Centre on National Security with the Defence Ministry.This is the first course of its kind given outside the NATO institutes in Italy, France and Germany. For four weeks the participants will attend lectures and seminars on "Security and Defence Policy: The Challenges of the New Millennium". Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov gave an introductory lecture on "Security through Cooperation and Integration". He stressed that dialogue on NATO membership is still in progress in Bulgaria. Dr Marcuise, Deputy Director in charge of multilateral affairs with the NATO Division of Political Affairs, spoke about NATO's contribution to the building of a democratic security system in Europe in the 21st century. The participants in the forum are scheduled to meet with the ambassadors of Russia and the U.S. to Bulgaria. [04] BULGARIAN-GREEK COMMISSION DISCUSSES MEASURES TO COMBAT SHEEP POXSofia, October 7 (BTA) - A Bulgarian-Greek commission of the Haskovo Region (Southern Bulgaria) and the Evros district in Greece met today at the Ormenion border checkpoint between Bulgaria and Greece. The meeting was attended by representatives of the veterinary and sanitary services of the two countries. It was organized on the initiative of the Greek side and discussed sheep pox cases in the borderland regions, the local BTA correspondent said.The disease may have spread to Greece from Bulgaria, Greek experts said, claiming three-quarters of the foci of infection were in places where Bulgarian timber is imported. These suspicions were voiced by the chief of the Evros district veterinary service, Angelos Beglou. The suspicions that the disease spread from Bulgaria to Greece are totally unjustified, representatives of the Haskovo Region said. Twenty-five foci of sheep pox have been established in Greece and 80 of them are along the Greek-Turkish border. There were only three foci of sheep pox on Bulgarian territory which have already been liquidated. At the meeting the Greek side spoke of its intentions to propose that all animals in the European part of Turkey be vaccinated and if this proves impossible to set up buffer zones along the borders to which animals of farmers will not be admitted. [05] BULGARIA'S WETLANDS VERY WELL MANAGED, SAYS RAMSAR CONVENTION SECRETARY GENERAL BLASCOSofia, October 7 (BTA) - "The four Bulgarian sites included in the Ramsar Convention are very well managed. I am not an advocate of closed reserves which is why I will advise my Bulgarian colleagues to open them to visitors - certainly without harming the environment," says Delmar Blasco, Secretary General of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention), quoted in today's "Douma." Mr Blasco visited Bulgaria at the invitation of Bulgarian Environment Minister Georgi Georgiev. The purpose of his visit was to meet representatives of the competent authorities on the implementation of the Ramsar Convention in Bulgaria and to get familiar with the conservation of wetlands in this country. Bulgaria is the eighth country which formally acceded to the Ramsar Convention in 1976. For the time being, four Bulgarian wetlands of international importance are included in the Convention: Lake Dourankoulak (Northeastern Bulgaria), the Lake Sreburna Reserve (on the Danube), Lake Atanassovsko near Bourgas (Southeastern Bulgaria), and the Arkoutino Reserve (Eastern Bulgaria). Mr Blasco visited the sites and the complex on the River Ropotamo (Southeastern Bulgaria), proposed for inclusion in the Ramsar List. "We presented to Mr Blasco several projects related to the development and management of protected wetlands," said Deputy Environment Minister Yordan Ouzounov. The most important project is the Sreburna Reserve which some time ago was included in the Montreux List of endangered wetlands. "We hope that now that we have taken measures, the reserve will be dropped from that list within a year or two," Mr Ouzounov said.[06] OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIESSofia, September 7 (BTA) - Opposition presidential candidate Peter Stoyanov today declared himself in favour of stepped up integration into the European and North Atlantic structures, to reach its culmination with Bulgaria's admission as full member of the European Union and NATO. Among the country's foreign policy priorities Stoyanov also sees the development of Bulgaria's relations with Russia, Ukraine and the other former Soviet republics, which he believes expands, rather than reduces, the chances for entry into the EU and NATO.This evening Peter Stoyanov presented his foreign policy platform before the Bulgarian Atlantic Club. The Club has invited the presidential candidate of the ruling Socialists Ivan Marazov to set forth his own foreign policy priorities next Wednesday, October 16. A key element of Stoyanov's foreign policy platform is this country's regional policy, to be pursued strictly in line with the overall process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Stoyanov further spoke in favour of promoting the relations with partners of North Africa, the Middle and Far East and Southwest Asia. The contacts with these regions should be aimed at encouraging investors' interest in Bulgaria and boosting the confidence in Bulgaria as a member of the community of civilized countries without disturbing integration processes of priority, said Stoyanov. He stressed it is very important for Bulgaria that the EU intergovernmental conference confirm the principle of equal start and equal treatment of all EU associated members, adding that the accession negotiations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe should start simultaneously with those with Malta and Cyprus. The opposition presidential candidate further dwelled on his belief that there is a direct link between Bulgaria's chances to be admitted as full EU member and getting military and political national security guarantees within NATO. "The decision for joining NATO as a full member will be a sovereign act of the Republic of Bulgaria. I would not accept any other country having the right to veto another country's decision to join NATO," Stoyanov said. The audience applauded his words. He added that Bulgaria's entry into NATO does not invalidate the efforts to find other, regional and supra-regional, national security guarantees. He called upon Parliament to reiterate the will for Euro-Atlantic integration first voiced in 1993. He believes that a step to that end will give Bulgaria grounds to demand that the North Atlantic Council invite it personally to accede along with the other EU associated member states. Stoyanov's statement that he intends to be an active factor in encouraging Bulgarian-Russian relations which are to the benefit of both countries were received with applause from the audience. "I view these relations both on an independent bilateral basis and as a means for improving economic indices instrumental to Bulgaria's full European and Euro-Atlantic integration," Stoyanov said. Bulgaria may become a "bridge" or an "intermediary" between NATO and Russia, Stoyanov added. Dwelling on this country's Balkan policy, Peter Stoyanov said that this policy should proceed from the conviction that the times of bilateral or trilateral axes and backstage negotiations are over. Regional initiatives should establish European norms of relations between the states of the region, Stoyanov believes. He described the main aspects of Bulgaria's foreign policy in Southeastern Europe as economic cooperation and development of infrastructure. The present Bulgarian Constitution gives the President sufficient rights which "could speed up the process of careful decision-making in the field of foreign policies and national security following the elaboration of efficient mechanisms." Stoyanov said that if he is elected President, he would work for overcoming the present practice of having foreign political and national security documents elaborated entirely by the government and its bodies. The first major test of the efficiency of the proposed approach would be the President's participation, in his capacity as commander-in-chief, in the preparation and holding of the meeting of the defence ministers of the countries of Southeastern Europe scheduled for the first half of 1997, Stoyanov said. [07] MASS PRIVATIZATION FIRST AUCTION STARTS TUESDAYSofia, October 7 (BTA) - The first centralized auction of the mass privatization will be given the go-ahead tomorrow, "Standart News" writes. It marks the beginning of the second stage of denationalization of the Bulgarian economy. The first one involved the cash privatization launched three years ago, the paper recalls.The mass privatization started in early January 1996. Some 1,000 enterprises with a total capital exceeding 200,000 million leva have been put up for sale. Some 80,000 million leva of their capital will be privatized through voucher books, another part through the cash privatization and a third part will remain state-owned. The registration for participation in the mass privatization lasted for nearly five months. More than three million people stated they will take part in the mass privatization through privatization funds or independently. The total of 6.5 million Bulgarians are eligible to register for participation. The transfer of voucher books to privatization funds and relatives started in mid-June. The fund's statutory meetings were held in the second half of September. Unlike the Czech Republic and Russia where privatization funds numbered 450 and 600 respectively in Bulgaria their number was considerably smaller. Ninety two privatization funds were approved for participation in the voucher privatization. Eleven funds were not licensed as they did not raise the minimum required capital of 70 million leva. Today is deadline for the funds' filing documents for registration with the Securities and Stock Exchanges Commission. The court registration should be conducted between October 30 and November 12. [08] BLACK SEA GAS FIELD PROMISING, EXPERTS SAYSofia, October 7 (BTA) - The natural gas field at the Galata Cape (near Varna, the northern Black Sea) looks big, geophysicists say after the latest drillings conducted here. The experts were quoted by the Bulgarian national television during its central evening news cast on Sunday. Experts say that evidence of the field's capacity is contained in the fact that the gas basin is located under rock formations dating back to 64 million to 65 million years.The Romanian floating platform "Atlas", hired by the U.S. Texaco Company, started prospecting at the Galata Cape 15 days ago. Drilling now takes place at more than 1,020 metres in the earth. Geologists expect the next horizon to be with even greater saturation and size than the first probe conducted by Texaco two years ago. "We are not sure yet what the filed's volume will be but this time we hope to discover what we came here for and to prove the feasibility of the development of this gas field," Texaco manager Steven Marshall told the national television. Data of the Committee of Geology and Mineral Resources show that foreign investment in oil production in Bulgaria totalled USD 150 million over the past five years, against USD 4 to 5 million allocated from the state budget. [09] TRADE UNIONS BRACE UP FOR PROTEST ACTIONS, ASSISTANCE TO SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGEDSofia, October 7 (Andrei Sharkov of BTA) - The leadership of the two largest Bulgarian trade union amalgamations - the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgarian (CITUB) and the Podkrepa Labour Confederation, will hold a protest rally on October 15 in Sofia, representatives of the two trade union amalgamations said at a joint news conference today after a meeting between their leaders - Krustyo Petkov and Konstantin Trenchev.Already last May CITUB and Podkrepa leaders said they would call nationwide strikes and other protest actions against the economic and social policy of the Cabinet of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and its coalition partners. The demands raised by the two trade union amalgamations, supported by other smaller trade unions, seek full compensation of real incomes, which plummeted several fold this year due to soaring prices and runaway inflation. The rally will be united around the presidential elections, due on October 27, and the issue of the survival of Bulgarians, CITUB leader Krustyo Petkov said. He proposed that participants in the rally burn duplicates of their central heating and electricity bills and their deposit contracts in bankrupt banks. "For us as a trade union the most important issue discussed was the survival of the people who have no alternative in the coming months," Prof Petkov told the press after meeting Peter Stoyanov, presidential candidate of the United Democratic Forces. The CITUB leader added that these are between 500,000 and 700,000 people. "We firmly support Mr Stoyanov's idea for setting up a committee for national salvation and we informed him of our initiative to set up a network of civic 'salvation' committees operating in different population centres and helping the most vulnerable groups of the public providing them with free food and shelter," the CITUB leader said. "For me it is very important that our views on this issue coincide," Peter Stoyanov told journalists after the meeting. [10] SOCIAL PARTNERS DISCUSS INDUSTRIAL SAFETY LAWSofia, October 7 (BTA) - The National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (of employers, trade unions and the Government) today discussed the main provisions of a draft industrial safety law. The draft is being developed by an expert commission on the initiative of competent ministries and departments and the social partners, officials told a press conference after the meeting.The existing regulations in this area are out of line with the European, says a paper by the commission. The draft provides for the establishment of an industrial safety council reporting to the Council of Ministers. It will include officials of the departments concerned and employer and employee organizations. The Council will have coordinating and consultative functions in formulating safety policy. According to the signed protocol, the social partners are given a week to present suggestions on the draft, Deputy Prime Minister Doncho Konakchiev told the press conference. Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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