News from Bulgaria / Oct 4, 95

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

Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory

BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY

BULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIA

CONTENTS

[01] BULGARIA CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Sofia, October 3 (BTA) - President Zhelyu Zhelev today sent a message expressing his indignation, concern and sympathy following the assassination attempt against Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov. Zhelev wished him a quick recovery. President Zhelev expressed a hope that the situation in Macedonia would be stabilized and strongly condemned the perpetrators of the act. Later in the afternoon President Zhelev talked to President Gligorov's adviser Ahel Tunte, who said that at 6.30 p.m. local time Gligorov was under an anesthetic and was being operated on. Zhelev again sent him his wishes to get better soon,

Presidential Spokesman Valentin Stoyanov said. "We heard with deep regret about the assassination attempt against Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov,"

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry spokesman said today. The perpetrators and instigators of this criminal act deserve to be strongly condemned and severely punished. The Foreign Ministry expressed a hope that Mr Gligorov would recover soon and that he would be able to continue his highly responsible efforts to strengthen Macedonia's independence and work towards Balkan stability, the Foreign Ministry said. Meanwhile the government spokesman said the Bulgarian Government strongly condemned the act of terrorism against Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov. "In the context of the recent general stabilization in the Balkans the Bulgarian Government expresses serious concern over such acts designed to undermine the normalization of bilateral and multilateral relations in the region," the Government Spokesman said. "The Bulgarian Government will continue to categorically support all actions intended to normalize the situation in the Balkans and to promote lasting stability," the spokesman also said.

Bulgarian Parliament is opposed to all acts of terrorism and denounces the act committed against Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov, National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov told a briefing today. The leaders of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces strongly condemned the attempt on President Gligorov's life. "Terrorism has always been condemned by the UDF. The Union sincerely hopes that the assassination attempt will not further destabilize the Balkans. Bulgaria has always been firmly in favour of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Macedonia, a stand supported by the UDF," the Union's press office told BTA.

Interior Minister Lyubomir Nachev sent a cable to his Macedonian counterpart Ljubomir Frckovski expressing concern and sympathy in connection with today's terrorist act against the Macedonian head of state Kiro Gligorov. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry is ready to fully cooperate in investigating the circumstances around the incident, it says.

[02] UNIT ONE OF KOZLODOUI N-PLANT TO BE RESTARTED

Vratsa, October 3 (BTA correspondent) - The nuclear safety inspectorate of the Committee for Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy okayed the restart of Unit One of the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant, the N-plant's press office told BTA. The restart of the 440-megawatt reactor will begin on completion of the inspection of its safety systems now underway.

Sofia, October 3 (BTA) - The Energy Committee held a meeting here today on the condition of Unit One of the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant, attended by experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency, national radio reported. According to a Government press official, on Wednesday morning Deputy Prime Minister Kiril Tsochev will hand European Union Ambassador Thomas O'Sullivan the official answer of the Bulgarian Government to a note from the ambassadors of the G-7 nations, urging Bulgaria not to restart Unit One after a scheduled overhaul. The appeal, made late last week, cited safety concerns. Experts, who completed a five-day inspection of Unit One on Friday afternoon, said there are no technical problems that may impede the restart.

[03] STATE INSTITUTIONS TO ACT IN UNISON FOR BULGARIA'S INTEGRATION IN EUROPE

Sofia, October 3 - President Zhelyu Zhelev will send a message to the heads of state of the European Union countries and Bulgarian Parliament is drafting a declaration against the EU decision to keep Bulgaria on its visa blacklist. This was announced by Ivailo Trifonov, Spokesman for the Consultative Council on National Security, after today's Council meeting. The Council held a two-and-a-half hours' meeting today to discuss specific steps by the state institutions leading to Bulgaria's exclusion from the general blacklist of the EU, Trifonov said in a communiqu%. Last week in Brussels the EU Council of Ministers voted to keep Bulgaria on the list of 101 countries deemed to pose a security or immigration threat. (The Consultative Council on National Security is convened by the President and consists of the Prime Minister, the Parliamentary Chairman, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Interior, and representatives of the parliamentary forces.)

President Zhelev committed himself to send a message to the heads of state of the EU countries. Parliamentary Chairman Blagovest Sendov said the National Assembly was drafting a declaration against keeping Bulgaria on the EU blacklist. Trifonov recalled that the European Parliament had drafted a resolution on Bulgaria's visa treatment, calling on the European Commission to apply objective and transparent criteria, treat the associated countries equally and make the necessary changes as quickly as possible. The Consultative Council recommended to the Council of Ministers to continue taking active steps towards the EU countries and institutions with a view to Bulgaria's exclusion from the blacklist before its entry into force in six months. The representatives of the parliamentary groups emphasized the need of consensus among the political forces on this issue, Trifonov said. Though the participants in the discussion were divided on the reasons for the EU decision which put Bulgaria at a disadvantage, they agreed that this country's exclusion from the blacklist would provide fresh impetus to the democratic process and economic reform in Bulgaria. Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski said all participants held an identical view of "complete unacceptability of Bulgaria's retention on the list". Asked whether the steps planned at the Consultative Council's meeting today would be successful, Pirinski repeated twice: "They must be!". He said: "We must take steps to have Bulgaria excluded from that list as soon as possible."

[04] BANKS OF CENTRAL, EASTERN EUROPE OPEN MEETING

Varna, October 3 (BTA correspondent) - The third banking meeting of Central and Eastern European countries opened today at the SS. Konstantin and Elena resort near Varna, on the Black Sea. The meeting is discussing the process of stabilization of the banking system. Among the organizers of the forum are major Bulgarian and Russian banks and associations. Participating are CEOs and officials of Bulgarian, Russian, Latvian, Czech and Moldovan banks. There are no representatives of banks of Ukraine, Belarus and the former Southern Soviet republics, that participated in the previous meetings, said Leonid Shuvaev, Chair of the Governing Board of ABI-Bank of Russia and member of the Council of the Association of Russian Banks. He dwelled on the condition of the banking system in Russia, including over 2,500 banks. He believes the crisis in banking in August this year was most predictable. Shuvaev further analyzed the process of consolidation of small and medium-sized banks that is underway in Russia and that, according to him, will continue well into the coming year to include some 1,000 banks. Emil Kyulev, Chief Executive Director of the Bulgarian-Russian Investment Bank spoke on the difficulties in bilateral settlements, that are now serviced by banks outside the region. He called upon the participants in the meeting to coordinate their efforts in working out a new mechanism for bank settlements, consistent with the new conditions.

[05] BUSINESS PRESS

Sofia, October 3 (BTA) - The programme for bank rehabilitation will be handed to the ministers today, the financial daily "Pari" ("Money") says, quoting Head of the Bank Consolidation Company Dimiter Dimitrov. The programme will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday and will be presented by the Bulgarian delegation to the autumn session of IMF and the World Bank in Washington.

Three banks are going to form a consortium for implementation of agriculture projects, the dailies say. Mineralbank, Bulgarian Agricultural and Industrial Bank and First East International Bank will jointly finance agriculture projects. The banks will also set up joint privatization funds and will undertake to service part of the "Agriculture" fund.

"Kamenina" company of Pleven (Northern Bulgaria) received an international award for quality and technologies, "Pari" says. The company is the only manufacturer of stoneware tubes and couplings and in 1995 registered an output worth more than 65 million leva. The prize was awarded jointly by the prestigious Italian house Editorial office Arsenier Ruggeri and the Trade Leaders Club.

Between January 1 and October 1 the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation closed 32 privatization deals, "24 Chassa" says. Payments worth 572 million leva have been agreed.

An aircraft repairs plant will start operating by mid- 1997, "24 Chassa" says, quoting Deputy Transport Minister Stanislav Velinov as saying. The plant will be constructed on the territory of the Bourgas airport. The project was agreed during the visit of Prime Minister Videnov to Russia. The partnership is expected to operate on joint Bulgarian-Russian capital and the two governments are to particularize its share holders.

Balkan airlines is going to increase the number of its charter flights in the winter, the press says. The company has contracted charter flights for Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Berlin and Leipzig and is expected to make 50 such flights to the Czech Republic and 20 to Switzerland. In addition to direct flights for New York, the company will offer flights via Malta as of November.

Six lower category hotels and the largest department store for children's goods "Detmag" have been put up for sale by the municipal privatisation agency in Sofia. The initial price for "Detmag" is 77 million leva and its future buyer should come up with a business plan for a period of 3-5 years and state the amount of intended investment.

[06] TUESDAY NEWS BRIEFS

Sofia, October 3 (BTA) - At the 5th European conference on labour held in Warsaw in late October, the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that Bulgaria is Europe's leader in terms of negative attitude of the executive to the ILO Convention. Journalists learned this from Ivan Neikov, deputy leader of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), one of Bulgaria's two most influential labour organizations. The CITUB will submit an official report at the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (of labour organizations, employers and the government), Neikov also said. He told journalists the CITUB will send a letter to the European Trade Union Confederation to ask for assistance in striking Bulgaria off the visa blacklist of the European Union.