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News from Bulgaria / Jan. 31, 96From: bulgaria@access1.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria)Bulgarian Telegraph Agency DirectoryEMBASSY OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.BTA-BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCYBULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIACONTENTS[01] PRESIDENT ZHELEV CONFERS WITH FOREIGN DIPLOMATS[02] FOREIGN MINISTER GEORGI PIRINSKI IN BRUSSELS[03] EU-BULGARIA ASSOCIATION COUNCIL'S MEETING[04] BULGARIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN SENDOV IN MOSCOW[05] OPPOSITION WANTS PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN'S RESIGNATION[06] BULGARIAN MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS NETHERLANDS[07] BULGARIAN, BELARUS INDUSTRIALISTS DISCUSS[08] BUSINESS PRESS[09] TUESDAY NEWS BRIEFS[01] PRESIDENT ZHELEV CONFERS WITH FOREIGN DIPLOMATSSofia, January 30 (BTA) - In a letter to President Zhelyu Zhelev of Bulgaria, President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro of Italy reiterates his country's commitment to the evolving project for an East-West transport and communication corridor which will pass through Bulgaria. Dr Zhelev today handed copies of Mr Scalfaro's letter to the Ambassadors of Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Italy and Turkey (the four countries whose presidents signed a declaration on pooling efforts towards implementation of the project in New York City on October 22, 1995) and to the US Charge d'Affaires, Mrs Rose Likins. The separate countries' specific suggestions on the East-West transport and communication corridor were the only topic on the agenda of Dr Zhelev's conversation with the five dilomats, the President's Foreign Policy Advisor Kamen Velichkov said. Dr Zhelev set forth the position on the matter of President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia, who suggested that the Croatian Adriatic road structures be linked with the future transport corridor. "The infrastructural projects and the East-West corridor in particular may be included in the programme of the European Union, and this could be achieved with our help," commented Italian Ambassador Stefano Rastrelli. According to the Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia Georgi Spasov, his country is ready to invest some 50 million US dollars in the railway stretch of the East-West corridor within Macedonia. The Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik assured the participants in the meeting that Turkey's head of state Suleyman Demirel is also committed to the East-West project and his country will also invest in it. The Albanian Ambassador Xhelal Muharem Tahiri expressed a similar position. The US assistance for the Balkan infrastructural projects, promised back at the meeting in New York last year, is included in the draft budget and Mrs Rose Likins hopes that it will remain unrevised in this part, Mr Velichkov said.[02] FOREIGN MINISTER GEORGI PIRINSKI IN BRUSSELSSofia, January 31 (BTA) - At a meeting in Brussels this morning Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski and European External Relations Commissioner Hans van den Broek discussed specific steps for Bulgaria's integration into the European Union (EU), after this country officially submitted a bid to join the EU last December, the Bulgarian National Radio Western European correspondent said today.Pirinski is in Brussels in connection with the second meeting of the Bulgaria - European Union Association Council. The Council today will discuss the Bulgarian Government's pre-accession strategy and its results after the first, Sofia meeting of the Council on November 9 and 10, 1995. It will review characteristic developments in Bulgaria's economy, and regional cooperation. Meeting with his French counterpart Herve de Charette last night, Pirinski discussed EU visa requirements for Bulgarian citizens, and more specifically, dropping this country from a EU blacklist of nations posing an emigration threat. France yesterday reaffirmed the need to sign a bilateral readmission agreement. They also considered items on the agenda of today's meeting of the Association Council. Pirinski focused on wider access to EU markets for Bulgarian goods. [03] EU-BULGARIA ASSOCIATION COUNCIL'S MEETINGBrussels, January 30 (BTA) - Today the EU-Bulgaria Association Council had its second meeting presided over by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski, a press release says. The delegation of the European Union was led by Italian Foreign Minister Susanna Agnelli, President-in-Office of the EU Council. The European Commission was represented by Hans van den Broek.The EU-Bulgaria Association Council hailed Bulgaria's application for EU membership filed at the European Council meeting in Madrid and confirmed its readiness to help Bulgaria in meeting the conditions for membership stipulated by the EU Council in Copenhagen, the press release says. The EU-Bulgaria Association Council observed with satisfaction that Bulgaria had strengthened and stepped up the activity of its structures concerned with European integration in general and of its Government Committee on European Integration headed by the Bulgarian Prime Minister in particular. The Council highly appreciated the improvement of Bulgaria's economic performance in 1995 and the tendencies in its foreign trade which should be maintained and promoted by pursuing an adequate policy in structural reform, privatization, the restructuring of enterprises and reform in the area of finance. The Council expects a further advancement in the field of economic ties. The Council emphasized the EU-Bulgarian shared interest in nuclear safety. It was stressed that Unit One of the Kozlodoui Nuclear Power Plant should be closed because of its unascertained technical condition. The Bulgarian side said the decision to switch on the N-plan's Unit One had been made only after all the internationally recognized procedures for guaranteeing its safety were followed. The EU-Bulgaria Association Council appreciated the progress of talks between the Bulgarian authorities and the European Commission on the programme for the series of tests to be conducted on Unit One in 1996 and on the measures for providing Bulgaria with the required amount of alternative energy sources when it would be stopped, the press release says. The Bulgarian side renewed its demand for abolishing visa requirements for Bulgarians as a first step to its removal from the EU visa blacklist. The Council said it would take this demand into consideration. As far as issues related with common foreign and security policy are concerned, the EU-Bulgaria Association Council noted that cooperation between Bulgaria and EU has been deepening. The Council encourages Bulgaria's participation in the activity of the Western European Union as an associated partner, in NATO's Partnership for Peace program, and in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the press release states. In conclusion the EU-Bulgaria Association Council praised Bulgaria's constructive role during the Yugoslav crisis and hailed this country's readiness to render assistance in the implementation of the Dayton peace accords and contribute to the success of the IFOR mission. [04] BULGARIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAIRMAN SENDOV IN MOSCOWSofia, January 30 (BTA) - Meeting with Bulgarian National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov in Moscow today, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov reportedly stressed Russia's commitment to promoting its relations with Bulgaria. The meeting between the two was also attended by the chairman of the Bulgaria-Russia Friendship Group with the Bulgarian Parliament, Ivan Genov, said the Moscow correspondent of the Bulgarian National Radio. Academician Sendov is paying an informal visit to Moscow in connection with a congress of mathematics.Foreign Minister Primakov is quoted saying he was well informed about yesterday's meeting between the Chairman of the Bulgarian Parliament and Russian President Boris Yeltsin, adding the Russian President was extremely satisfied with his talks with the Bulgarian guest, said this radio correspondent. The sides agreed during a meeting at the Russian Foreign Ministry that Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski visit Russia in late February or early March when Days of Bulgaria are scheduled to start in Moscow. Pirinski's visit is intended to pave the way for the talks between Bulgarian Prime Minister Zhan Videnov and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The initiative for Videnov's visit came from Yeltsin. Since Bulgaria is a parliamentary republic, the Kremlin considers Prime Minister Zhan Videnov the natural and effective partner for full-scale talks, national radio said. Parliament Chairman Sendov called Primakov's attention to the unfavourable position of Bulgarian products on the Russian market. Russia's foreign minister pledged his assistance in settling the controversy surrounding the Bulgarian cultural centre in Moscow. (At present a company of unclarified Bulgarian or Russian - origin uses a large part of the building citing an expired agreement signed by former Bulgarian culture minister Elka Konstantinova. Russia leased the building to Bulgaria until the year 2007 and the company in question occupies it unlawfully, Ivo Atanasov, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, told the press last year.) Sendov informed Primakov of Bulgaria's participation in the implementing of the peace accords on Bosnia-Herzegovina, the national radio correspondent said. Russia has no right to veto NATO's enlargement eastwards but it does have a right to seek other ways to strengthen European security, Yevgeny Primakov said at the meeting. [05] OPPOSITION WANTS PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN'S RESIGNATIONSofia, January 30 (BTA) - In a special declaration tonight the parliamentary group of the largest opposition force, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), urged National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov to hand in his resignation on account of his stand against NATO's enlargement. Unless Mr Sendov does this himself, the UDF will demand that he resigns. Upon his return from Moscow National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov said that during his meeting with Boris Yeltsin, he had expressed the opinion that Bulgaria is part of Europe and that it will not give up its integration in the European and Euro-Atlantic structures, the national television said in its main evening news cast. "I have not made any statements about NATO; I had talks and no talks between politicians in this part of the world would fail to raise this issue. All the more that Russia was admitted into the Council of Europe with Bulgaria's support, with four Bulgarian MPs voting in favour. This is not a question of statements, which replace the policy Bulgaria has pursued so far. We are in favour of integration in the European structures, but there is no single solution to that issue," Sendov said on the national television. According to a news release of ITAR-TASS on Monday, cited today by the Bulgarian press, Mr Sendov and Russian President Boris Yeltsin found out that there is no need to expand NATO. The UDF believes that at his meeting with Yeltsin "Sendov obsequiously agreed with his interlocutor's well-known stand that NATO's eastward expansion is unnecessary." "The UDF has on a number of occasions protested against violations of the Parliament's rules of procedure on part of its Chairman; by making these scandalous statements in Moscow, however, he provided a final proof that he is not qualified for this position," says the declaration of the UDF's parliamentary group. The Union blames academician Sendov for allowing himself to prejudge the deep-going and far-from-completed debate on Bulgaria's national security, "on whether the country should again become Russia's satellite or be an equal member of the union of the free European states which seeks its prosperity," the declaration reads. "This is just another attempt of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) to decide Bulgaria's fate in Moscow and according to the will of Moscow," says the declaration in conclusion. Protest against Parliament Chairman's statement was also voiced by the Radical Democratic Party. The Party demanded that the ruling Socialist Party differentiates itself from the statement. Earlier today, Deputy UDF leader Nadezhda Mihailova said that the UDF will introduce a question to Prime Minister Zhan Videnov whether he and his Government share the Parliament Chairman's view. The issue was also raised at the meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee this afternoon. Opposition representatives said that if the National Assembly Chairman is against NATO's enlargement, this is inadmissible and is in contradiction with Bulgaria's official stand. After discussing for four hours, the MPs decided that the leadership of the Committee will have a meeting with National Assembly Chairman in connection with his statement against NATO's expansion. According to Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee MP Nikolai Kamov of the BSP, the Parliament has on a number of occasions voiced Bulgaria's willingness to integrate into the European and Euro-Atlantic structures. He also recalled that under the Constitution the country's foreign policy is determined by the Government, whose position at this stage is neither in favour, nor against Bulgaria's membership in NATO.[06] BULGARIAN MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS NETHERLANDSSofia, January 30 (BTA) - A Bulgarian military delegation, led by Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov, departed today on a three-day visit to the Netherlands. A memorandum for understanding, regulating the legal framework of cooperation between the defence ministries of the two states is expected to be signed during the visit. The Bulgarian Defence Minister is scheduled to meet with the Dutch ministers of defence and foreign affairs and to visit the peace keeping forces training centre and other military sites of the Dutch army.The Hague, January 30 (BTA special correspondent Lyubomir Yordanov) - A memorandum of understanding on the promotion of contacts was signed here today by Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov and his Dutch counterpart Joris Voorhoeve. The instrument lays the legal framework of bilateral military cooperation, which will be pursued in personnel training, training for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions, and expansion of democracy in the development and management of the defence ministries and armed forces. As agreed, a mixed Bulgarian-Dutch Commission on Defence will be drafting an annual plan for joint activities. The plan for this year covers personnel training, exchange of experience and contacts in military science and military medicine. On the first day of the official visit, the two defence ministers and their delegations held talks. Bilateral military relations, participation in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations and the future integration of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the European and the Euro-Atlantic structures were on the agenda, as it emerged at a news conference later in the day. Mr Pavlov and Mr Voorhoeve were unanimous that the strength of small countries lies in their cooperation and understanding. They expressed satisfaction with the possibility of a battalion of Bulgarian engineers interacting with the Dutch peacekeeping forces on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Mr Voorhoeve also expressed support for the aspiration of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, towards membership of the European Union and NATO but noted that this process requires a longer time. Later in the day Dimiter Pavlov conferred with the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mihil Patein. The two discussed matters of shared interest. Tomorrow the Bulgarian delegation will visit the Den Helder Naval Base. This is the first visit by a Bulgarian defence minister to the Netherlands since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1909. [07] BULGARIAN, BELARUS INDUSTRIALISTS DISCUSSSofia, January 30 (BTA) - A cooperation agreement between the Bulgarian Industrial Association and the Belarus Association of Science and Industry was signed by the heads of the two organisations Bozhidar Danev and Michail Lavrinovich. The accords are intended to overcome customs barriers and taxation inadequacies, to regulate reciprocal payments and lay the foundations of future joint projects, Mr Danev told a news conference. The delegation of the Belarus Association of Science and Industry, which includes heads of major industrial enterprises and foreign trade companies, is on a five day visit to Bulgaria as of January 28. It already had meetings with representatives of more than 40 Bulgarian companies in mechanical engineering, electronics and electrical engineering. By the end of their visit in Sofia the Belarus industrialists will be received by National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov, Trade Minister Atanas Paparizov and Minister of Industry Kliment Vouchev. Last year's commercial exchange between the two states added up to as little as 40 million US dollars, Mr Lavrinovich said. In his view there are real prospects for establishing direct contacts between the manufacturers and customers in the two countries and thus expand the commercial exchange, which has so far been conducted through the agency of third states. The visit will also seek to study the prospects for industrial cooperation in the manufacture of tractors, heavy trucks and for future entry on third markets. According to Bozhidar Danev the joint projects will stand better chances of receiving financial support from the European Union and the international financial institutions. International Orthodox Bank "St.Nikola", which at the end of last years signed an agreement for opening of credit lines with the Belarus Priorbank, will mediate reciprocal payments. The Belarus delegation is also scheduled to hold meetings with the management of the Bulgarian-Russian Investment Bank. Bulgaria and Belarus have so far closed three agreements: for military and technical cooperation, in the field of radio and television and in environment protection. Another 10 agreements are expected to be signed during the official visit of Belarus Prime Minister Mihail Chigir which is scheduled for February 20 and 21.[08] BUSINESS PRESSSofia, January 30 (BTA) - The Bulgarian Telecommunications Company is planning to invest 8,800 million leva in 1996 (USD 1 exchanges for 73.684 leva), "Continent" reports. Half of the funds will come from the company's own revenues and half through contracts with three banks - the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank.The funds will be used for the Digital Overlaid Network project which provides for the construction of East-West and North-South transit lines through Bulgaria. The traffic from the Middle East to Europe, cut by the Yugoslav war, is currently being restored. The Bulgarian Telecommunications Company sustained monthly losses of 2-3 million US dollars as a result of the non-operation of these lines, "Continent" writes. Bulgaria's foreign exchange revenues from tourism are expected to increase by up to 30% by 1998, according to the estimates in the medium- term concept of a national policy for the development of the tourist industry, the financial "Pari" daily writes. The Committee for Tourism expects the relative share of the tourist industry in the Gross National Product to increase from 2.5 to 4.2%. Foreign tourists are expected to account for 30% of the revenues. A major requirement of the Committee of Tourism is that part of the profit posted in the branch be re-invested into tourism, "Pari" adds. US Charge d'Affaires here Rose Likins yesterday paid a four-hour visit at the Stara Zagora, Southern Bulgaria, plant for disc memory storage devices, the press says. After a meeting with the management, the US diplomat dropped the accusations against the plant for being the major producer of pirated CDs, "Continent" writes. Following accusations to that effect, US companies demanded that Bulgaria be blacklisted among the countries where favourable conditions exist for intellectual property infringement, this daily recalls. [09] TUESDAY NEWS BRIEFSSofia, January 30 (BTA) - Special regulations are introduced for the export of Bulgarian medicines, Health Minister Mimi Vitkova told a news conference. The distributor or trader of each lot will be required to present a special invoice with an ink seal impression guaranteeing that the medicines produced are intended for export. The control enforced in this way will deter the currently unregulated export of Bulgarian pharmaceuticals."Sofia is far from an epidemic explosion," Deputy Health Minister Radka Argirova told a news conference. She put the incidence of flu in the capital city at 19,500. A state of epidemic has been declared so far in 16 towns nationwide. The widest spread viruses are Johannesburg and Beijing. "The Voice of Truth," a non-fiction book by Metodi Dimov, has been brought out by the Orbel Publishing House of Blagoevgrad (Southwestern Bulgaria). The writing of the book was occasioned by an incident on September 21, 1995, when Mr Dimov, an expatriate Bulgarian from Macedonia, visited his native town of Bitola in the Republic of Macedonia 39 years after his emigration. He was then taken to the town department of internal affairs and after a five-hour interrogation was told that he was engaging in pro-Bulgarian propaganda and must leave the Republic of Macedonia immediately. "My worst sin is that I am a Bulgarian born within the borders of Macedonia, and that I am proud of my nationality," Mr Dimov then told the BTA correspondent. Metodi Dimov is Secretary of the Brussels-based Todor Alexandrov Macedonian Society which has among its members other Bulgarians who have emigrated from Macedonia. The findings of an examination conducted by five experts of the General Administration of Civil Registration and Administrative Services with the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction arrived at the Kurdjali District Court today. The examination was requested by the court in connection with the hearing of an action challenging the legitimacy of the elections of municipal councillors and municipality mayor in October and November 1995. Contrary to the initial reports of 731 voters having cast their ballots in violation of the law, the experts found a total of 1,382 irregularities. The second hearing of the case is scheduled for February 5. The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) will suggest to the social partners at the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation the drafting of an agreement to guarantee the level of pay in the material and state-financed sphere for 1996 as promised by the Government, it emerged at a regular CITUB news briefing today. "Bulgaria is on the point of being plunged into a new economic crisis," CITUB President Krustyo Petkov believes. "The Federation for Bulgarian-Chinese Friendship expresses the indignation of its members and of the millions of Bulgarian citizens, workers, peasants, artists, students, pupils and other loyal friends of the great Chinese people at the latest violent attack on a Chinese diplomat," says a declaration of the Federation, received at BTA. "These ignominous acts are obviously committed by politically motivated quarters," the document says. It is occasioned by the assault last Saturday evening on the Consul and First Secretary of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Sofia and his wife. |
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