News from Bulgaria, 96-08-27

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From: Embassy of Bulgaria <bulgaria@access1.digex.net>

EMBASSY OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.

BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY

CONTENTS

[01] FOREIGN MINISTER PIRINSKI IN THE U.S.

[02] BULGARIA OPENS NEGOTIATIONS WITH EUROPEAN UNION FOR GRAIN IMPORT

[03] IMF MISSION LEADER MEETINGS IN BULGARIA

[04] SUPREME COURT REHABILITATES REGENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS CONVICTED BY PEOPLE'S COURT

[05] JAPANESE MP HAKUO YANAGISAVA'S MEETINGS

[06] CHIEF OF BULGARIAN GENERAL STAFF TOTOMIROV TO VISIT ROMANIA

[07] BULGARIAN-SLOVAK MILITARY COOPERATION ACHIEVE SUCCESS

[08] BUSINESS PRESS

[09] ARCHAEOLOGICAL NEWS BRIEFS

[01] FOREIGN MINISTER PIRINSKI IN THE U.S.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister met World Bank Director of Southeastern Europe Kenneth Lay and International Monetary Fund Vice Governor Stanley Fisher.

Addressing diplomats and political analysts at the Carnegie Foundation, Pirinski dwelled on the approaches to security and stability in Southeastern Europe. He is due to deliver a lecture on "Bulgarian Policy for Regional Stability in The Balkans" at the Atlantic Council.

the agenda of Pirinski's talks in the US also includes Bulgarian- American relations and ways to bring them to a sustainable level, commercial policy and conditions for developing economic cooperation.

Foreign Minister Pirinski and his hosts will also consider the opportunities for getting US assistance for Bulgaria's entry into the World Trade Organization.

[02] BULGARIA OPENS NEGOTIATIONS WITH EUROPEAN UNION FOR GRAIN IMPORT

According to preliminary information, Bulgaria wishes to import 150,000 tonnes of wheat.

Agriculture and Food-Processing Minister Krustyo Trendafilov said that Bulgaria specified its grain demand and the conditions under which it would accept the EU aid. EU officials provided information about this year's crop and the Union's reserves.

"Our aim is to import wheat through a long-term loan to avoid a burden on Bulgaria's balance of payments," Trendafilov told reporters.

The negotiations continue tomorrow.

Trendafilov went on to say that an analysis of the trend of food price increases in January-September is being currently prepared. The initial data about bread, wheat and flour prices show that those prices lag behind inflation and the lev/dollar exchange rate. Trendafilov added that in 1994, when the dollar again rose against the lev, the situation was the other way round: bread prices outpaced the lev/dollar exchange rate.

[03] IMF MISSION LEADER MEETINGS IN BULGARIA

McGuirk showed interest in the privatization of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company, the Council of Ministers Press Office said.

Konakchiev briefed her on Government measures to decrease the social cost of reforms in the real economy. They discussed matters related to the operation of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (of the Government, trade unions and employers) chaired by Konakchiev.

They also discussed opportunities for the expansion of cooperation between Bulgaria and international financial institutions in consultancy and work with potential investment partners.

Tomorrow McGuirk meets with leaders of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CITUB), a major trade union amalgamation. The implementation of the Government programme proceeding from the agreement with the IMF and the Cabinet's attitude to the private sector in Bulgaria are the two main items on the agenda, CITUB leader Krustyo Petkov told a press conference today. A week ago the amalgamation's leaders officially asked the Government for full information about Bulgaria's agreement with the IMF and the memorandum itself, but the document has not been received yet, Petkov said. Tomorrow he will ask McGuirk if such programmes developed with the assistance of international institutions are secret, and will express his opinion that such documents should be made available at least to MPs.

IMF Mission Leader in Bulgaria Anne McGuirk arrived on August 21 on a two-week visit to inspect the fulfilment of conditions in the fourth standby agreement, as she herself said upon her arrival.

In July Bulgaria signed its fourth, 580 million dollar standby arrangement with the IMF. The first 100 million tranche was received in late July.

McGuirk today held talks with the leaders of Bulgaria's other large trade union amalgamation, the Podkrepa Labour Confederation.

The leaders of Podkrepa were asked to express their views of the progress of structural reform in Bulgaria.

The amalgamation's press office said they reiterated their view the Government is not willing to seek public support and assistance.

According to Podkrepa, if there had been a broad public discussion of the programme for liquidation of money-losing companies, the process would have reached a far more advanced stage.

Podkrepa declared its readiness to head popular discontent in the atmosphere of insecurity, mechanical price rises and plunging living standards.

[04] SUPREME COURT REHABILITATES REGENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS CONVICTED BY PEOPLE'S COURT

The decision was adopted by two against one votes of the Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court.

The decision, entered under No. 1 for August 26, was voted on April 10 last year but was announced this afternoon.

The Supreme Court was approached by Prosecutor General Ivan Tatarchev to make a supervisory review in 1994.

On February 1, 1945 the People's Court passed its sentences on the three regents - Prince Cyril, Bogdan Filov and General in the Reserve Nikola Mihov, ten court advisers, three prime ministers - Ivan Bagryanov, Konstantin Mouraviev and Dobri Bozhilov and ministers of the three cabinets before September 9, 1944 - a total of 51 persons. They were tried under the Statutory Ordinance on the Trial by a People's Court of the Culprits for the Involvement of Bulgaria in the War against the Allied Powers and for Related Crimes.

The decision of the Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court fully revokes the sentences and terminates proceedings on this case. The main motive is that the sentences of the People's Court list no motives.

Judge Plamen Tomov, who made reservations, said that the Supreme Court is not competent to rule on this case. As the Turnovo Constitution does not provide for a People's Court, all sentences issued by it are not subject to supervisory review, Tomov claims.

[05] JAPANESE MP HAKUO YANAGISAVA'S MEETINGS

Mr Yanagisava's meeting with National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov focused on parliamentary contacts between the two countries. Both sides agreed that these contacts have become quite intensive. Two Bulgarian parliamentary delegations visited Japan and one Japanese parliamentary delegation visited Bulgaria over the past four years, Sendov said.

"I used the meeting with the Japanese MP to suggest that Japan could use Bulgarian scientific potential," Sendov said after the meeting. He recalled that the Japanese government has allocated 114,000 million yen (some USD 2,000 million) to the development of science. The Japanese guest said that scientific contacts depend on the initiative of the Bulgarian side.

"I was happy to observe that Mr Yanagisava is becoming member of the Bulgarian lobby in the Japanese parliament," said Deputy National Assembly Chairman Ivan Kourtev, chair of the Bulgaria- Japan friendship group, after the meeting. He added that the businessmen accompanying Mr Yanagisava will be able to achieve concrete results at their meetings with Bulgarian businessmen. Bulgarian companies should offer projects and thus promote their cooperation with Japanese companies, the Japanese MP said.

At some stage Japan would like to join either postwar reconstruction of Bosnia and Hercegovina of transregional projects, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin Glavanakov said after his meeting with the Japanese MP.

The meeting at the Foreign Ministry also discussed possibilities for bilateral cooperation in electronics, chemistry, agriculture, tourism and transport. The guest showed interest in the political and economic situation in Bulgaria and the social consequences of the reform.

Hakuo Yanagisava and Interior Minister Nikolai Dobrev discussed future cooperation in road traffic control. Experts of the Japanese Omron company and the Bulgarian Traffic Police Division are studying possibilities for the realization of a project for upgrading the traffic control system in Sofia. The project is to be financed gratuitously by the Japanese government, the press office of the Ministry of the Interior said.

With Agriculture Minister Krustyo Trendafilov, Mr Yanagisava discussed opportunities for cooperation in agriculture. The guests showed special interest in fish breeding in Bulgaria and stressed Japan's wish to fish in the Black Sea. Japan wishes to help Bulgaria and the two sides agreed that the Bulgarian government present its requests in this field as soon as possible.

[06] CHIEF OF BULGARIAN GENERAL STAFF TOTOMIROV TO VISIT ROMANIA

The two officials will discuss issues of the military cooperation between Bulgaria and Romania, the implementation of the document on security and confidence-building measures and other questions of mutual interest.

General Totomirov will visit Romanian army units and training facilities.

[07] BULGARIAN-SLOVAK MILITARY COOPERATION ACHIEVE SUCCESS

The 1995 cooperation agreement envisages joint work in drawing up the military doctrines of the two countries, cooperation in the military-political sphere, in military research and training, among other fields. The agreement also includes an agenda for the exchange of visits and recreation.

The Bulgarian Defence Minister told journalists he discussed with his counterpart all fields of cooperation, as the talks focused on the military policy priorities of the two ministries.

The technical cooperation between the Bulgarian and Slovak army is particularly useful: the two complement each other in the repair of combat equipment and supply of spare parts, said the Bulgarian Defence Minister.

The guest told journalists he has informed Defence Minister Pavlov that Slovakia's national security priority is full membership in NATO. He said the two also discussed the two countries' active participation in the Partnership for Peace programme. Another major aim of the Slovak army is harmonization of its standards with those of the members of the North Atlantic Alliance, a process to be completed around the year 2000, said also the Slovak Defence Minister.

Tomorrow's schedule of the guest includes visit to the Bachkovo Monastery and old Plovdiv, Southern Bulgaria. On Wednesday he will lay flowers at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Sofia, and will be received by Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, after which he will leave the country.

[08] BUSINESS PRESS

The Bulgarian-Russian Investment Bank will raise its capital to 5,000 million leva (about US$ 25 million) from 1,250 million leva, the Bank's Executive Director Svetoslav Bozhilov told Reuters according to "Standart News".

The decision was taken in compliance with the central bank's new minimum reserve requirements. Banks are to raise at least 2,200 million leva by the end of March 1997 to become eligible for a full- service licence.

The European Union has banned Bulgarian cattle imports because of a pox epidemic, the press reports. Bulgaria was expected to export 3,123 tonnes of live animals to the EU.

So far this country has exported 2,790 tonnes of sheep and goats to the EU. In July companies made offers to export 1,000 tonnes more, experts say.

"24 Chassa" says Bulgaria and the EU are starting negotiations today for the import of 150,000 tonnes of wheat from the EU on soft terms.

Agriculture Minister Krustyo Trendafilov will meet with EU grain policy experts, now on a fact-finding mission to Bulgaria. The sides will discuss possibilities for Bulgaria to draw on the EU's intervention stocks of cereals.

[09] ARCHAEOLOGICAL NEWS BRIEFS

In Sozopol (on the Black Sea) archaeologists have discovered the burial of a criminal executed in the late 5th or early 6th century BC. His legs were mannacled. Experts presume the criminal was publicly cudgeled to death and then buried in a family plot. A number of exciting archaeological discoveries have recently been made in Sozopol: tombs built of solid stone blocks of up to 2 tonnes each. The tombs contain a large number of valuable utensils, suggesting that the affluent citizens of ancient Apollonia were buried in this part of the necropolis. For the first time, archaeologists have come across a hydria (water and wine jar) with two tiers of gold inlay and Amazon fighting scenes.

A couple of days ago treasure-hunters broke through the walls of a medieval basilica discovered within the limits of the ancient city of Drustur (Durostorum in Roman times and today's Silistra, Northeastern Bulgaria), said the excavations director, Assoc. Prof. Stefka Angelova of Sofia University. The break-in seriously impedes the emergency conservation work on the site, for which the Ministry of Culture has allocated some 1 million leva. The basilica contains two- layer murals and other remnants of lavish ornamentation. Because of the treasure-hunters' raids, however, archaeologists would rather not disclose further information about their finds this season.

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