June 21 - Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov today returned form a three-day official visit to Bratislava at the invitation of his Slovak counterpart Jan Sitek. During the visit the sides signed an agreement on cooperation between the Bulgarian and Slovak defence ministries. Minister Pavlov hailed the signing of the document, adding that he was satisfied with his visit as it accomplished all tasks that has been set. The cooperation agreement, that took effect as of yesterday, will be used as a basis for drawing up annual cooperation progammes, "Daily News" learned from the Defence Ministry's press office. The two Defence Ministers discussed the progress of, and prospects for bilateral cooperation. Minister Pavlov said the countries have already overcome the setback in bilateral relations in the past few years, deepened after the split of Czechoslovakia. He believes there are still untapped resources which can intensify Bulgarian-Slovak ties in the military sphere.
The identical problems facing the two countries in the military reform, the fund shortages and difficulties in the rearming, offer Bulgaria and Slovakia ample space for joining their efforts in seeking ways to overcome the difficulties, Minister Pavlov reportedly said. The "Douma" daily wrote yesterday that the agreement provides for cooperation in 17 spheres, including the defence doctrine, military reforms, military-economic activities, research work, legislation, staff training, military- medical matters, recreation, rescue and emergency operations. The sides shared the view that the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) initiative enables the Bulgarian and Slovak armies to establish closer bilateral ties and coordinate their efforts with the armies and army commands of the other PfP countries. The Bulgarian and Slovak Defence Ministers voiced a concern over the escalation of the conflict in former Yugoslavia. They were unanimous that the only possible solution to the conflict is political. "Douma" went on to say that the conflict in Bosnia- Hercegovina was discussed at a meeting between Minister Pavlov and the speaker of the Slovak Narodna Rada (the Parliament), Ivan Gasparovic. Slovakia is in favour of a NATO membership, but leaving Russia out of it would create an imbalance in European security.
Minister Pavlov and Ivan Gasparovic also discussed the prospects for promoting bilateral cooperation at parliamentary, governmental and military level, the Bulgarian Defence Ministry's press office said. The two were unanimous that the dividing line between traditional and military diplomacy tend to disappear. Defence Minister Pavlov further met Slovak Deputy Prime Minister Josef Kalman. The two reportedly agreed that Bulgaria and Slovakia need contacts in the military sphere; they pursue similar goals and intentions, stemming from the current military, political and economic environment. Dimiter Pavlov was also received by Slovak President Michal Kovac.
Turkish Foreign Minister Erdal Inenu will visit Bulgaria on June 28 and 29, Yordan Kozhouharov, deputy head of the Foreign Ministry's Southeastern Europe Department, told journalists today. Turkey's chief diplomat will prepare the official visit of President Suleyman Demirel to Sofia at the beginning of July. Besides his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Pirinski, Foreign Minister Inenu is expected to meet President Zhelyu Zhelev, prime Minister Zhan Videnov and National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov.
Parliament today passed at second reading amendments to the Income Tax Act. Passed in 1950, the Act has to date undergone more than 30 revisions. The amendments push the tax threshold from 1,850 leva up to 2,500 leva (about US$ 38) per month and to 30,000 leva (about US$ 448) per year for the liberal arts. Four income tax schedules were put for discussion: three proposed by MPs and one by the cabinet. They all provided for reduced tax burden but to a different degree. Parliament approved the one envisaging the introduction of progressive income tax.
Ventsislav Dimitrov MP of the opposition Popular Union, who had submitted his own project, criticized the choice of the Socialist-led majority."Imposing higher income tax for the wealthier, the cabinet flirts with the masses while actually dealing a blow on private business," Dimitrov said. Partners in commercial partnerships will continue to pay taxes on nonoperating expenses. The amendments further provide for payment of income tax on expenses for acquisition, use, and maintenance of vehicles, buildings and other movable and immovable property, including rented ones, when they are used for partners' personal needs. Expenses on acquisition of shares in enterprises put up for privatization shall not be deducted from the taxable sum. Income tax will not be charged only for expenses on acquisition of government securities. The MPs rejected a proposal for advance payment of 10% of the income tax by people working in the liberal arts or under a contract of personal service. This provision has been approved at first reading. The MPs raised the fine CEOs and chief accountants will pay for incorrectly calculated and overdue income tax.
Following heated debates, Parliament today passed at second reading a bill recognizing members of the anti- fascist resistance movement as participants in World War Two on the side of the anti-Nazi coalition. The bill passed basically on the votes of the Socialist MPs. The law refers to Bulgarian nationals who participated in the resistance movement in the 1939-45 period, both in this and in other countries. Parliament today saw prolonged debates between the Socialists and the opposition on events during WW II and on the nature of the anti-Fascist struggle in Bulgaria in the early 1940s, which is a controversial issue in this country. Georgi Panev MP of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), described the law as "profane". "This is the beginning of a hunt for material and political gains," said Dyanko Markov MP of the UDF. However, a special article in the law was passed saying it does not provide for acquiring the same material benefits granted to WW II veterans.
The Supreme Judicial Council today appointed Boiko Rashkov Director of the National Investigative Service (NIS). Rashkov, former acting director, was appointed after three candidates for this office represented their concepts for the work of the NIS.
The Socialist-led parliamentary group today gave a hearing to the candidates for chiefs of the national electronic media. The MPs of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) on Friday are expected to introduce at the plenary chamber the candidacies: Ivan Granitski for director of the National Television, Vyacheslav Tounev for director of the National Radio and Milen Vulkov for director of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). Tounev and Vulkov are former long- serving BTA journalists. Granitski is a literary reviewer. After the sitting of the BSP-led parliamentary group, Dimiter Yonchev MP and deputy chair of the BSP-affiliated Alliance for Social Democracy, spoke against personnel changes at the national electronic media. His statement was prompted by Granitski's plans for personnel changes if he is appointed to the office of National TV director. Yonchev believes this would encroach on the freedom of journalists. BTA Director General Steffan Gospodinov died suddenly on June 14.
Direct German investments to Bulgaria in 1994 amounted to US$ 218, which makes Germany this country's second major partner after Russia, Dr. Mitko Vassilev, head of the representation of the German economy here, told a news conference. It was organized by the National Society of German-Language Journalists in Bulgaria.
An official of the US Embassy here visited Plovdiv, Southern Bulgaria, to study opportunities for investing in projects for reduction of unemployment among Turks and Gypsies in this city. The US diplomat met Plovdiv's deputy mayor to discuss with him the education and crime rate in the two minority groups.
The Ministry of Justice and the Agency for Expatriate Bulgarians today signed a protocol on cooperation in addressing the problems of expatriate Bulgarians. Justice Minister Chervenyakov stressed that a comprehensive national strategy should be developed with the joint efforts of all interested agencies. Under the protocol, a legal framework should be developed to regulate these issues and a procedure adopted for granting with priority Bulgarian citizenship to expatriate Bulgarians. Before the signing of the protocol, the Justice Minister had a meeting with President Zhelyu Zhelev at which he stressed the fact that Bulgaria has never had a clear national policy toward the 2 million Bulgarians living outside this country. An agreement was reached that the President's Office have its representative at the committee on Bulgarian citizenship operating with the cabinet. This will give the President's Office access to first-hand information on all cases of Bulgarian citizenship being gtranted, revoked or reinstated: a power the President is invested with under the Constitution, said the President's legal adviser. Dr. Zhelev some time soon is expected to summon a special consultative council on national security to draw up the principles for a new national policy on these matters. The Justice Minister believes that a new law on Bulgarian citizenship could be developed only on the basis of such a national policy.
The Cabinet will index to inflation the prices of tobacco harvested in 1995 by the end of June, Georgi Petrov, Chairman of the Union of Tobacco Growers in Bulgaria, says in an interview for "Zemya". Only 15,000 ha of land have been put under tobacco this year as against 30,000 ha in 1994, Petrov says.
Japanese businessmen are interested in the Interkvarts electronic works in Goroublyane (near Sofia), "Douma" writes referring to the Privatization Agency. Negotiations will start next week.
This season the private companies Ribal, Ribex and Liding and the state-owned Chernomorski Ribolov are processing sea-snail meat again; they use a special Japanese technology; the product is designed for export to Japan, the Republic of Korea and Singapore, "Troud" writes. At present the purchase price of unprocessed sea snails is 30 leva/kg. A man can catch an average of 150 kg of sea snails a day.
At least two of Bulgaria's six cement plants will be privatized by the end of the year, "Douma" writes citing Dimiter Stefanov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Privatization Agency. A decision is to be made whether foreign investors should be allowed to exploit the quarries.
The Ministry of Industry plans to increase paper production 35 percent by the end of 1998, "Troud" writes. An upward trend has been observed in the pulp and paper industry in the last two years, experts say. In 1994 alone its output rose 8 to 10 percent from 1993, the paper writes.
The TIR system is facing ruin because of faked customs documents and consignments disappearing on their way to receiving customs points, "Douma" writes citing a press release of the Association of Bulgarian International Road Carriers and Road Operators. International carries have got to pay large amounts of money to settle customs claims. Five or six thousand Bulgarian TIR truck drivers may lose their job. Limited exports resulting from the Yugoembargo, the high tolls charged on drivers passing in transit through some countries and the overall increase of expenditure also create difficulties.