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News from Bulgaria / Jan. 2, 1996From: bulgaria@access1.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria)Bulgarian Telegraph Agency DirectoryCONTENTS[01] PRESIDENT ZHELEV CABLES CONGRATULATIONS[02] PRESIDENT ZHELYU ZHELEV'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE[03] BUSINESS PRESS[04] KOZLODOUI N-PLANT'S UNIT FOUR BROUGHT ON LINE[05] BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFS[06] SUNDAY NEWS BRIEFSEMBASSY OF BULGARIA WASHINGTON D.C.BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY BULLETIN OF NEWS[01] PRESIDENT ZHELEV CABLES CONGRATULATIONSSofia, December 29 (BTA) - President Zhelyu Zhelev today cabled congratulations to Jean-Pascal Delamuraz on his election as President of Switzerland. Zhelev expressed Bulgaria's gratitude for the friendly support provided by Switzerland during this country's difficult transition to democracy and market economics. Zhelev also expressed his conviction that Bulgarian-Swiss cooperation will flourish.President Zhelev congratulated Askar Akayev on his election as President of Kyrgyzstan. Zhelev expressed his belief that friendship and cooperation between the two countries will develop to the benefit of both nations. [02] PRESIDENT ZHELYU ZHELEV'S NEW YEAR MESSAGESofia, December 31 (BTA) - In his traditional New Year's message, broadcast on the national electronic media minutes today, President Zhelyu Zhelev wished health to the Bulgarian people and particular actions to the respective institutions of state which, under the Constitution, are supposed to sustain and carry out reforms in Bulgaria. "I wish the Bulgarian Government to find the strength and finally return the land to its owners within physical boundaries, with title deeds and without any additional complications," Dr Zhelev said in his message. In his view, Bulgarian peasants should abandon serfdom and embrace stewardship, becoming really free and economically independent persons. The President also wished that "we live to see privatization in practice and at least one organized crime boss convicted in a fair trial and sent to jail." Dr Zhelev wished Parliament to vote the crucial social laws and the national media law, and the parliamentary majority to stop getting scared by the mention of NATO and to stop scaring others by such mentions; the ruling Socialist Party - to start fulfilling its campaign promises; the opposition - to unite its efforts so as to act efficiently as a corrective of the government majority. To the millions of citizens of Bulgaria, the head of state wished above all life and the best of health.[03] BUSINESS PRESSSofia, December 29 (BTA) - "24 Chassa" quotes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Roumen Gechev as saying that economic growth in 1996 and 1997 is expected to increase to 4-5 per cent. In order for this to happen, however, the authorities should be extremely careful with the payments on this country's foreign debt next year as the shrinking foreign currency reserves will decrease the possibility for regulating the lev/dollar exchange rate.Yesterday, the dollar reached 74 leva but the internal market steadied after the commercial banks intervened, the press says. The increase of the dollar against the lev is attributed to the brisk demand for foreign currency on the part of companies as they bought US currency with leva funds, which remained free after the end of the financial year, experts say. "Standart News" writes that members of the public also bought US currency. The daily quotes senior central bank officials as saying that there will not be a foreign currency crisis. The central bank will continue to pursue its policy for gradual depreciation of the lev, senior bankers say. The dailies recall forecasts according to which the dollar will trade at 81 leva in December 1996. "24 Chassa" quotes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade Kiril Tsochev as saying that the European Union should provide to Bulgaria either soft loans or compensations for the inspection of power unit one of the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant. The stop of the unit for trials from its casing will be possible after April following the completion of the 18th fuel campaign and consultations with Bulgarian and Russian experts. At five a.m. on Thursday, the Kozlodoui N-plant generated the record 17,000 millionth kWh of electricity in 1995, "Troud" says. The 440 mW power unit four was switched on after planned repairs and loading of fresh fuel. The State Savings Bank (SSB) injected 6,000 million leva in several commercial banks in November and December alone, the press quotes bankers as saying. The names of the banks were not revealed. SSB did not co-ordinate the refinancing with the central bank thus harming the latter's restrictive policy. For several months now the central bank reduced to a trickle the refinancing of the banks so as to prevent them from speculations on the foreign currency market and increase the lev/dollar exchange rate. SSB official denied having violated the central bank's restrictive policy, "Standart News" says. The court registration of the Bulphone Bulgarian-Greek joint- venture company was published in the Official Gazette, the press says. The capital of the company, established by the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC) and the Greek Intracom firm, amounts to US$ 50 million, 68 per cent out of which are held by Intracom, "Standart News" says. Bulphone will design, build and use information and telecommunications networks. "24 Chassa" quotes Industry Minister Kliment Vouchev as saying that Bulgaria is negotiating a US$ 25 million loan with the Spanish Bilbaobank. The Spanish side insists that the money be invested in the pulp and paper industry. [04] KOZLODOUI N-PLANT'S UNIT FOUR BROUGHT ON LINEVratsa, December 29 (BTA corr.) - The 440-MW Unit Four of the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant was brought on stream at 1 a.m. on Friday, press attache Yordanka Stoyanova told BTA. It is operating at minimum controllable capacity. The other 440-MW reactors, Units One and Two are operating at 95 per cent capacity and Unit Three at 70 per cent. The 1,000-MW Units Five and Six are operating at 95 per cent capacity. Currently the Kozlodoui plant is generating 66 million kWh of electricity a day. In the first days of the New Year all six units will be on line.The Kozlodoui plant, which has been operating for 22 years, set two records in 1995. Its output peaked at 17,264 million kWh, breaking the 1988 record of 16,000 million kWh, and the plant accounted for the largest share, 46.1 per cent, of the entire output of the National Electric Company, the plant's information centre said. [05] BUSINESS NEWS BRIEFSSofia, December 31 (BTA) - Rock stars and popular actors welcomed the participants in the statutory meeting of Bulgaria's newest commercial bank, the National. Advance sociological surveys showed that more than 1 million people are willing to acquire stock in the new financial institution, also known as "the footballers' bank." The 2,000 or so founding shareholders have bought shares worth 4 million leva. The bank will be raising 500 million leva in capital.The cannery of Pazardjik (South Central Bulgaria) has contracted the export of 2,000 t of frozen strawberries in 1996 for the SIAS company of Mitry-Mory, France. The French have provided planting stock and has offered a method for planting, cultivation and plant protection of the strawberry crop. An experimental plantation in 1995 produced an average yield of 1,800 kg per 0.1 hectare. Bulgartabac of Pleven produced more than 7,200,000 t of cigarettes in 1995, up 1,200 t from the planned target, said Executive Director Dimiter Bogdanov. Ninety per cent of the output is going to Russia, where the factory has restored its contacts with partners and has regained its market positions. Apart from Russia, cigarettes made in Pleven are exported to Afghanistan, Iran, Jordan, and shipments for Russia are being readyied. More than 700 toup-operator and travel-agency firms have applied for a licence; state-owned and private tourist companies have filed applications for the award of a star rating to over 1,000 hotels and restaurants, and the small catering and entertainment establishments, boarding houses and private lodgings are ten times as many, the Committee of Tourism reported. So far 395 licences have been issued, most of them for tour operation and travel agency business. The licence holders include Samokov Borovets, Sunny Day, Rila of Sofia and Touristur of Silistra. A licence has been refused to Silverbeach Holidays because it does not meet the requirements and rules for the conduct of tourist business. [06] SUNDAY NEWS BRIEFSSofia, December 31 (BTA) - The airport and sea port of Varna (on the Black Sea, Northeastern Bulgaria) are closed due to icing, BTA learnt from the desk officer of Civil Defence. A dense fog in Plovdiv (South Central Bulgaria) has put the local airport out of operation. The National Electric Company said heavy snowfall in the last couple of days has left 66 population centres nationwide without power supply. The roads between Varna and Bourgas, between Varna and Dobrich and between Bourgas and Karnobat are closed to traffic.Two Bulgarians figure in the World Peace Book published by UNESCO, the BTA correspondent in Pleven (North Central Bulgaria) reports. The book, which has been compiled in the course of ten years, features President Zhelyu Zhelev and artist Peter Mirchev of Pleven. The Bulgarian head of state has this message to the inhabitants of the planet Earth: "Human life, peace and tolerance are paramount values of civilization. To the peoples in the Balkan Peninsual, "peace" is not a trivial wish. It has a tangible meaning and is interwoven with the destiny of this region, with people's hopes to shed animosity and past prejudice, so as to be able to live on equal terms in a peaceful and prosperous Europe." The book includes Peter Mirchev's work "Woman with a Dove." She has held 20 one-man shows in Paris, where he bought the Peace Book. |
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