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Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), 96-12-28Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Embassy of Bulgaria <bulgaria@access1.digex.net>EMBASSY OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY28 December, 1996CONTENTS
[01] MPS OF THE DEMOCRATIC LEFT MAKE MAJOR DECISIONSSofia, December 27 (BTA) - The parliamentary group of the Socialists- dominated Democratic Left coalition decided to accept the resignation of the government at the vote on Saturday, BTA was told by Mariela Miteva of the Democratic Left leadership after a sitting of the parliamentary group on Friday. Prime Minister Zhan Videnov tendered the resignation of his government and his own resignation as leader of the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) on December 21 at the opening of an extraordinary BSP congress.The parliamentary group of the Democratic Left mandated its leadership and those of the BSP and its coalition partners of the EcoGlasnost Political Club and the Alexander Stamboliiski Agrarian Union to start consultations on the formation of a new government of the Democratic Left, said Miteva. The Political Consultative Council of the Democratic Left will hold consultations with forces inside and outside Parliament to win broad support for the new left-wing government. The parliamentary group decided that the 1997 Budget Bill must be introduced before Parliament along with a draft privatization programme and a package of legislation on the possible introduction of a currency board. The Cabinet which resigned is to submit the Budget Bill by end- 1996. The deadline for the other documents is the beginning of the winter session. [02] PRESIDENT ELECT STOYANOV: BULGARIA SEEKS EU LOBBY IN ITALYSofia, December 27 (BTA) - Bulgaria will seek Italy's support in its efforts to enter the European Union, Bulgarian President elect Peter Stoyanov told journalists on Friday after a nine-day visit to Italy. Stoyanov said that Bulgaria is the only country in Central and Eastern Europe whose European integration efforts have remained without supporters.The President elect also announced that his first visit after his January 22, 1997 inauguration, will be to Brussels where the NATO and EU headquarters are located. Stoyanov said his Rome visit had two major aims: to see how much the top political circles in Italy are aware of the problems and interests of Bulgaria, and to reconsider Bulgaria's political behavior in Western Europe. What he found was that "the country lacks an imposing presence on the European continent" and Western European countries are not aware of its interests. Bulgaria's admission as NATO full member was atop the agenda of Stoyanov's talks with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. Stoyanov said the sides were unanimous that taking a clear and unequivocal stand on its entry into NATO, Bulgaria will have a solid basis for improving its cooperation with Russia. Peter Stoyanov and Italian Foreign Minister Alberto Dini shared the view that the introduction of a currency board in Bulgaria is a reasonable step only under a government that is determined to make urgent structural reforms and has a strong and working privatization programme. Stoyanov further quoted Foreign Minister Dini as saying that a consensus among the leaders of the major political forces in the country is another precondition for the success of the currency board mechanism. Alberto Dini is a long-time International Monetary Fund official and its executive director for four years. The President elect stressed that a government enjoying a broad public support and bringing together the views of all political forces, is vital for overcoming the crisis in the country. He described as "expected" and "most necessary" the extraordinary congress of the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) held earlier this week. Stoyanov is surprised that the congress accepted equally smoothly both the resignation of Zhan Videnov from the Prime Minister's and BSP leader's office, and his structural reform programme. Commenting on his meeting with Romanian counterpart Emil Constantinescu on Thursday, Stoyanov said that Romania and Bulgaria should not be rivals on the road to the EU and NATO and that they can achieve much more with joint efforts. The two met after heavy snow in Bulgaria forced the plane flying Stoyanov back from Italy to land in Bucharest. They reportedly agreed to open a hot line to establish a direct contact between the two countries. [03] BULGARIA, MACEDONIA HOLD CONSULTATIONSSofia, December 27 (BTA) - A delegation of experts of the Foreign Ministry left for Skopje on Friday for a second round of consultations on a draft declaration setting forth the principles for development of goodneighbourliness and cooperation between Bulgaria and Macedonia, said the Foreign Ministry. The delegation is led by Vladimir Sotirov, chief of the Human Rights and Humanitarian and Social Cooperation Department with the Foreign Ministry. The first round of consultations was held in Sofia on October 31 through November 1 at the level of deputy foreign ministers.[04] VIDENOV: GAS TRANSIT CONCESSIONS TO RUSSIA IN HOME STRETCHSofia, December 27 (BTA) - "The negotiations on granting concessions to Russia for gas-transiting pipelines will be finalized," Prime Minister Zhan Videnov is cited as saying by Friday's press. According to him, the Bulgarian side is ready with its proposal for the terms of payment for the fuel, with the prices and amounts of natural gas the governments of Bulgaria and Russia can agree on. It is the Bulgarian sides' ambition that the gas pipelines concessions get off ground in January, Videnov said."If we succeed in settling the problems related to the concessions and customs and tax relief, besides the fine private contracts which I'm glad that have been concluded, we will have a long-term intergovernmental agreement," Prime Minister Videnov, whose resignation Parliament is expected to consider this Saturday, pointed out. Russia's Gazprom CEO Rem Vyahirev is expected to arrive in Sofia by mid January 1997. The pipelines for transiting gas across Bulgaria are among Moscow's vital priorities, it became clear after Russian Deputy Prime Minister Lobov's visit to Sofia in mid-December. Prime Minister Videnov promised him at the time to expedite the decision on granting a concession for the transit of Russian gas, the press recalls. Bulgargaz claims that the gas pipelines existing in Bulgaria cost 550 million US dollars; the Russians say their actual costs is half that amount. This causes the dispute between Bulgaria and Russia about the gas transit fees, "Novinar" notes. "An obligatory condition the candidates for the concessions should meet is to guarantee Russian gas for the Bulgarian industry, Nikola Baltov, Head of the Council of Ministers' Concessions Department, said. Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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