News form Bulgaria / Nov 01 '95

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

Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.

BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY

CONTENTS

[01] FOREIGN MINISTER PIRINSKI INSISTS ON BULGARIA'S ACTIVE

Luxembourg, October 31 - Addressing the Council of Ministers of the European Union, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski reiterated Bulgaria's desire to participate actively in the implementation of the projects for reconstruction of former Yugoslavia, arguing that this country should be given a priority in this respect. He said it is a good way of mitigating the adverse effects Bulgaria suffered from the strict implementation of the sanctions against Serbia-Montenegro, said the Bulgaria Foreign Ministry.

In Luxembourg Foreign Minister Pirinski met Italian State Secretary in charge of foreign affairs Emanuele Scamaca and discussed with him the opportunities for Bulgaria's participation in the post-conflict reconstruction of former Yugoslavia, the Foreign Ministry also said. They also considered issues pertaining to the two countries' participation in the construction of trans-European networks, and particularly the transport corridors crossing Bulgaria and Italy. Foreign Minister Pirinski reportedly invited his Italian counterpart Susanna Agnelli to visit Bulgaria at her convenience.

[02] BULGARIAN DEPUTY P.M. TSOCHEV IN AMMAN

Amman, October 31 - Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Kiril Tsochev who is visiting Jordan for the Middle East economic conference had a number of business meetings last night and this morning, the cabinet's press office said today. Kiril Tsochev met with Pakistani Trade Minister Chaudhri Mukhtar to discuss with him measures for boosting bilateral trade that dropped to USD 7.5 million last year, and opportunities for Bulgarian companies and organizations to participate in the construction of major infrastructure projects in Pakistan, said the press release. Later the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister met Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and discussed with him issues of mutual interest. Tsochev reportedly stressed Bulgaria's plans to participate actively in the implementation of important projects in the Balkans and the Middle East. According to Mr Peres, being among the Balkan countries affected most severely by the Yugosanctions, Bulgaria has all rights to participate actively in the restoration processes after the end of the conflict in former Yugoslavia. The sides agreed that Israeli businessmen visit Bulgaria early next year, the press release further reads. Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Samih Darwaze and Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Tsochev discussed opportunities for Bulgarian participation in the construction of power engineering facilities necessary for the upcoming linkup of the power grids of Jordan and Syria. Early this morning Kiril Tsochev met the South Korean Minister of Construction and Transport, Oh Muyng. The talks stressed Bulgaria's possible involvement in projects to be financed by South Korea. The sides also discussed the investment climate in Bulgaria and the progress of denationalization, the cabinet's press office says. Kiril Tsochev's last meeting today was with the chairman of the House of Representative at the Jordanian Parliament, Saed Srour.

[03] BUNDESWEHR INSPECTOR GENERAL NAUMANN ARRIVES IN SOFIA

The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Gen. Klaus Naumann tomorrow is arriving on a three-day visit here. He will a return visit here at the invitation of the Chief of General Staff of the Bulgarian Army, General Tsvetan Totomirov, who visited Bonn last year. The visit was scheduled under a two-year programme for military cooperation the Bulgarian and German Defence Ministries signed on March 29, 1994. On the first day of his visit Gen. Naumann is expected to meet Bulgarian Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov and Bulgarian Chief of General Staff Gen. Totomirov. On Thursday the guest will visit the Reserve Officers School based in Pleven and will give a news conference at the German Embassy in Sofia in the evening. On November 3 he will have a meeting with Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev and will visit the Georgi Rakovski Military Academy.

[05] BULGARIAN-DANISH ECONOMIC CONSULTATIONS

Sofia today saw the launch of Bulgarian-Danish economic consultations held under a long-term programme for economic, industrial, scientific and technological cooperation between the two countries within the framework of a mixed commission. The sittings are held once a year and this is the 18th session. The delegations are led by Dimiter Shopov, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industry and Ole Koch, Ambassador at the Danish Foreign Ministry. The sides will review, among other things, the development of, prospects for and the problems facing bilateral economic relations in agriculture and industry in view of the future cooperation in trade, agriculture and investments.

[06] TUESDAY NEWS BRIEFS

Parliamentary Chairman Blagovest Sendov said 231 Bills and 172 draft decisions had been introduced in Parliament by October 30. Speaking at a regular news conference today he said 108 Bills had been enacted and 127 decisions taken so far. By the end of November, the 1996 Budget Bill will be submitted for plenary debates and will be adopted on first reading by the end of the winter session. Sendov described Parliament's international activities as successful.

Blagovest Sendov today received the newly appointed Egyptian Ambassador Mai Muhammed Abdul Dahab. The prospects for economic, cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries and parliaments were discussed.

Computers worth 11,000 dollars were donated today to the Ministry of Justice by South Korea's Ambassador Pil Joo Sung. Accepting the donation, Justice Minister Mladen Chervenyakov expressed a hope that Bulgaria and the Republic of Korea would establish closer ties in the sphere of justice.

Government-monitored retail prices rose 1.2 per cent between October 20 and 31, the National Statistical Institute reported today. Food prices rose 0.6 per cent on average.

Sofia mayoral candidate Stefan Sofiyanski and Gred Boden, Chairman for the Balkan countries of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, today discussed cooperation between the opposition Union of Democratic Forces on the one hand, and the Foundation and German political circles close to it on the other, said the press office of the unified democratic opposition which supports Sofiyanski. He thanked Boden for the Foundation's assistance in organizing workshops on local self-government during the run-up to the local elections.

Fifty children of refugees from Srpska Republic and Serb Krajina arrived in the Kachoulka children's village near Sliven tonight, BTA's correspondent reported from that southeastern town. This is the second group of children who will spend two weeks there under an agreement between the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Office of the Commissioner for Refugees in Serbia. The first group of 38 children left for Yugoslavia on October 28.

Rudolf Kraus, Parliamentary State Secretary of the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, met here today with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Construction Doncho Konakchiev and Labour and Social Affairs Minister Mincho Koralski. The Bulgarian officials set forth the cabinet's socio- economic priorities and spoke about the forthcoming launch of mass privatization, the cabinet press office said.

[07] BUSINESS PRESS

In August-October petrol prices remained unchanged, "Pari" writes on its front page. The papers run petrol prices fixed for November: A-98 - 31 leva/l, A-96 - 30.50 leva/l, A-93 and A-91 - 24.50 leva/l. A decree issued by the Government sets the prices of the other main fuels. Apart from A-93 unleaded, A-95 unleaded will also be offered in Bulgaria at 29.50 leva/t. (Today the exchange rate is 68.641 leva for USD 1.)

"Pari" quotes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Roumen Gechev who projects at least 2.5 per cent economic growth for 1995 and a possible increase of production by 3 to 3.5 per cent. Gechev made this statement in Athens where he takes part in a conference on Balkan problems. Minister Gechev also said that foreign investments of the worth of 900 million US dollar have been made in Bulgaria in 1995 and they are expected to amount to 1,000 million US dollars by the year's end, the paper writes.

Some 20,000 million leva were effectively refunded by the end of September from the total of 23,000 million leva, claimed to be refunded as VAT tax credit, Bisser Slavkov, Head of Taxes Chief Department at the Finance Ministry is quoted as saying in "Pari". The tax collection rate is good, Mr Slavkov told journalists yesterday.

"Pari" publishes an article providing detailed information about the rules and requirements for operation of free trade zones on the territory of Bulgaria.

This year's harvest of table grape is expected at 462,00 tonnes which is an increase compared with 1994, "Zemya" writes. Some 80,000 tonnes of wine grape more are expected this year.