News from Bulgaria / Jan. 8, 1996

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

Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory

CONTENTS

EMBASSY OF BULGARIA WASHINGTON D.C.

BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY

BULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIA

[01] BLUE HELMET TRAINING BEGINS IN BULGARIA

[02] OUTGOING U.S. AMBASSADOR MONTGOMERY RECEIVES HIGH BULGARIA

Dr. Zhelev thanked William Montgomery for his efforts for the activation of Bulgarian-US relations and voiced his regret that Montgomery leaves this country before the expiry of his term as ambassador. Montgomery was appointed ambassador to Bulgaria in October 1993. He will take the office of US envoy to the countries of former Yugoslavia that recently ended their war.

Dr. Zhelev said the signing of a joint declaration between Bulgaria and the US was a major step in bilateral relations, for which William Montgomery had a personal contribution.

After receiving the award, Montgomery said he and his family will remain friends of Bulgaria. Commenting on his new appointment, Montgomery said it as a diplomatic promotion that he and his family see as personal tragedy as it takes them away from Bulgaria. As for the success of his Sofia mission, Montgomery leaves it to Bulgarian people to judge.

William Montgomery started his mandate here with a scandal after revelations that he had pledged before the US Senate Commission to work for amending the Bulgarian Constitution and particularly its part banning the setting up of parties based on the principle of ethnicity. His statement, which he later said "was misinterpreted" provoked a strong reaction in the Bulgarian press and was described as interference in Bulgaria's internal affairs. The day when Montgomery was scheduled to hand in his credentials, he was met by a crowd with slogans reading "Unwanted!" and "We Don't Want A Second Bosnia!", and booed upon entering the building of the presidency. In his first statement before Bulgarian journalists, Montgomery said that Bulgaria is a sovereign and independent state for which the international community has much respect.

[03] BUSINESS PRESS

"Pari" reports that a World Bank mission is expected in Sofia on January 22. According to the World Bank Resident Office in Bulgaria, the mission will prepare an overview of all projects which are financed by the Bank and will propose new appropriate projects for Bulgaria. The World Bank's policy towards Bulgaria in the next three years will depend on the results of the mission, writes "24 Chassa."

The Vidachim Chemical Combined Works of Vidin (on the Danube, Northwestern Bulgaria) has contracted the export of 20,000 tyres monthly for heavy-duty trucks with the Ukrainian automaker KRAZ. Vidachim is bidding in a tender for export of tyres to Estonia. Negotiations are under way with the Czech company Barum, through which Vidachim will be selling 250,000 radial tyres, writes "24 Chassa."

Bulgaria's Brady bonds rose further on the international markets yesterday, writes "24 Chassa," quoting Reuters. DISCs were going at 54.5 - 54.75 cents/dollar, over 0.5 cents up from Wednesday. FLIRBs gained more than a cent, to 33.5 - 33.75 cents. Dealers said somebody is deliberately pushing up the prices of the Bulgarian foreign-debt bonds.

[04] OPPOSITION MOVES FOR VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN THE CABINET

"This is a most serious matter. All possible means should be tried to avert the grain crisis and call the culprits to account," said Ekaterina Mihailova, deputy leader of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF).

The no-confidence motion was signed by MPs of the UDF, the Popular Union, the ethnic Turks' Movement for Rights and Freedoms and three independents. This is the first no-confidence motion uniting the parliamentary opposition.

The opposition hopes that members of the majority are also concerned about the grain shortage and will want to hold accountable the culprits for it. This week the Social Democracy Alliance, a radical wing of the Socialist Party, called for the resignation of Agriculture Minister Vassil Chichibaba.

"The Cabinet liberalized grain and flour exports without providing enough grain to meet domestic requirements. By saying this and by demanding its resignation we are voicing the public interest as well as the public fears," said UDF leader Ivan Kostov. In its motion the opposition reasons that the Cabinet has displayed a complete lack of responsibility and incompetence in matters related to the grain crisis and that cabinet ministers have made conflicting statements on grain output, exports and the need for imports. There is a shortage of both bread and feed grain, UDF representatives claim, adding that its worst effect will become obvious in about a month. When the grain crisis reaches the limit, the opposition will launch an extraparliamentary protest campaign as agreed with the trade unions.

The opposition insists that the no-confidence motion be debated at an extraordinary sitting of Parliament. The exact date will be set by the Parliament Chairman but it must be within seven days of the filing of the motion.

The opposition expected the extraordinary sitting to be held on January 12 but on Friday evening it was announced that Parliament Chairman Blagovest Sendov called a regular sitting for January 9. Debates on the motion will be the only item on the agenda.

Socialist Party Spokesperson Klara Marinova said the Left took seriously the motion, aware that the Cabinet would survive the no- confidence vote. On Monday the Socialist leaders and the parliamentary group of the Democratic Left will work out their position on the motion and plan their tactics for the debate. Speaking for herself, Marinova said the motion of no-confidence betrayed a lack of seriousness about a serious problem.

[05] DRAMATIST KONSTANTIN ILIEV RECEIVES 1996 HERDER PRIZE

Konstatin Iliev is one of the writers who spearheaded a new stage in Bulgarian drama in the 70's. He wrote 11 plays on various subjects and in various genres. Iliev specialized in theatre studies at Humboldt University of Berlin. He often experiments with the creative methods of Brecht and Duerrematt.

Iliev also authored an autobiographical novel. He is now chief dramatist of the oldest Ivan Vazov National Theatre.

The opening night of his Koutsoulan or Wolves' Virgin repeated the success of his Easter Morning and Nirvana last December. While critics prefer Easter morning, Iliev's own favourite is Koutsoulan.

Iliev is the third Bulgarian writer to receive the 30-year old award after Atanas Dalchev and Blaga Dimitrova. Other Bulgarian laureates include composers Pancho Vladigerov and Marin Goleminov, scientists Ivan Douichev and Nikolay Genchev, etc.

The award will be bestowed in a ceremony on May 8 in Vienna.

[06] CULTURAL NEWS BRIEFS

A Season of Films for Children is held at the Russian Cultural Institute, ending on January 9. Films for teenagers will also be shown.

Artist Mincho Minchev presented to the Home of Humour and Satire in his home town of Gabrovo, Northern Bulgaria, a painting which experts evaluated at over USD 1,100. Minchev is among 500 Bulgarian and foreign artists who donated to the Home of Satire some 1,500 works, including paintings, prints, sculptures, photographs and books.

Russian actor and director Rolan Bikov is on a one-week visit to Bulgaria to present the International Fund for Promotion of Cinema and Television for Children he set up in 1988. The Film Centre organized a meeting with the Russian guest which is to be held on january 6. Fans will have a chance to see fragments of his unfinished "Grey Wolves".

An exhibition staged at the gallery of the Union of Bulgarian Artists paid tribute to the late tapestry maker Marin Vurbanov. Thirty years ago Vurbanov founded the first class in textile at the Sofia Academy of Arts. Later he opened a textile workshop in Sidney. In 1978 he settled in Paris where he taught and promoted his ideas about spatial textile plastic art. He dedicated the last years of his life to China where he was a student. The Handgchow Art Academy where he founded a number of textile workshop now bears his name.

Love, history, present and future are all blended in the Bulgarian- American production "Chick-Peas", with which Nigol Bezdjian makes his debut as director. The film was shot on location in Bulgaria and the US. The music is by famous Bulgarian composer Milcho Leviev. Producer is Bulgarian Armenian Bedo Manukjan.

[07] RUSSIAN GAS DELIVERIES TO BULGARIA NORMALIZING

The problems with the supply of Russian gas started in the first days of January. On Wednesday the pressure of the gas was half what is normal for the plants and heating plants in Bulgaria.

The pressure at the Gis-Isakcha point today measured 36.3 atmospheres and the amount of gas supplied was over 16 million cu m. The normal operation of the Bulgarian gas pipeline network is being restored, the cabinet's press office further says.