News from Bulgaria / Oct 18, 95

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

Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.

BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY

CONTENTS

[01] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TSOCHEV ON A WORKING VISIT TO MOSCOW

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Economic Cooperation is on a working visit to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian government. In compliance with the agreements between Bulgarian Prime Minister Zhan Videnov and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, Tsochev's visit to Moscow will review the progress on the Bourgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project, the national radio said. The visit will also discuss the preparation of the forthcoming session of the Bulgarian Russian joint committee on economic, industrial, trade and technical cooperation, which will take place in November in Moscow.

[02] DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER BOKOVA'S VISIT TO BRUSSELS

Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairperson of the Government Committee on Bulgaria's European Integration Irina Bokova, who is on a working visit to Brussels which started today, set forth Bulgaria's priorities in the field of transport before the director general of the European Union (EU) General Directorate of transport affairs and trans-European networks. According to the Bulgarian national radio correspondent in Brussels, Bokova also met with the U.S. Ambassador to the EU Fuhert Eisenstad. The discussion between the two officials focused on Bulgaria's request to be granted priority access to the projects for the post-war restoration of former Yugoslavia. The U.S. Ambassador to the EU reiterated the assurances pledged by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke during his recent visit to Sofia, that the U.S. will support Bulgaria's request and that they hail Bulgaria's role in the region, this country's strict enforcing of the sanctions against former Yugoslavia inclusive, the national radio correspondent said. In the afternoon, Bokova was received by Livan Leonard, Benelux deputy secretary general and chief of the Schengen agreement secretariat. Speaking on behalf of the Bulgarian government, Bokova expressed disappointment at Bulgaria's inclusion in the negative list of the EU Justice and Internal Affairs Council. The Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister insisted on Bulgaria's removal of the list as a political step for maintaining, for the time being, of the current visa requirements. This would mean that Bulgaria will treated as the Baltic states, the national radio corresponded said. He said further that for the time being the Bulgarian government insists on easing of the visa procedures with the Schengen countries, as for instance faster consideration of the visa requests, visas for longer stay for certain categories of Bulgarian nationals, visa-free entry for diplomats and business people. Leonard reportedly expressed his understanding as regards Bulgaria's position and made some recommendations for joint steps which will seek to overcome the present situation which, according to both officials, is illogical and unfavourable to Bulgaria, the national radio correspondent said. Bokova delivered a lecture on Bulgaria's strategy for EU integration at the European College of Bruges, the Foreign Ministry press office said. On Wednesday Bokova will meet with members of the European Parliament, the Foreign Ministry press release said.

[03] FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, ENERGY BOSS SAY

In statements on national television tonight, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Radko Vlaikov and the First Deputy Chairman of the Energy Committee Roumen Ovcharov accused the largest opposition Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) of seeking to capitalize on Bulgaria's inclusion in a European Union visa blacklist, and its energy problems, to gain votes in the local elections scheduled for October 29. Vlaikov and Ovcharov did not specifically name the UDF, but were obviously referring to a statement by UDF leader Ivan Kostov, who blamed the Socialist Cabinet led by Zhan Videnov for the restart of Bulgaria's oldest nuclear reactor and "this country's isolation from European structures". Kostov addressed the media upon his return from the UK and France today. Long before the announcement of the EU blacklist on September 25 in Brussels, the Government clearly and categorically declared the Bulgarian view of the discriminatory nature of this decision, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vlaikov said. He cited specific examples of the of occasions when the Bulgarian Cabinet raised the issue. The Government will press ahead with scheduled measures, and will keep relying on government institutions and political and public forces, which have reached a national consensus on the need to remove Bulgaria from the blacklist, Vlaikov emphasized. The problems of the nuclear power plant in Kozlodoui on the Danube and Bulgaria's energy sector as a whole are too serious to be made part of any election campaign, Ovcharov said. According to him, neither the Energy Committee, which acts for the Government in negotiations with foreign Governments in power engineering, or the Council of Ministers itself, have received any official proposals for the supply of electricity from France or any other country. Kostov today accused the Cabinet of cold-shouldering a French proposal to compensate Bulgaria with electricity, if the latter should shut down the oldest Kozlodoui reactor in response to Western safety concerns. "Taking into account the technical difficulty, not to say the lack of feasibility of such schemes, we are obviously witnessing the latest propaganda campaign," Ovcharov said.

[04] BULGARIAN DELEGATION AT THE UN

New York, October 17 - Georgi Dimitrov, Leader of the Bulgarian delegation to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly addressed the Committee during the 50th session of the Assembly, says a press release of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry. Dimitrov noted that by the end of 1996 an agreement on the ban of nuclear tests should be signed. Dimitrov also noted that the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction should enter into force. The convention was signed and ratified by Bulgaria. He praised the activities for the implementation of a mechanism for control of the convention on the ban of biological weapons and said that it should become universal, the press release reads. Dimitrov stressed the necessity to take further steps for the destruction of of conventional weapons of the Balkan countries which exceed the amounts guaranteeing their national security. He said that the UN register of conventional weapons is a means to increase trust and security. The Bulgarian representative supported the idea for extending the register's range by information on the stockpiles and national production of the categories of weapons which are on the register, according to the press release. He further outlined the measures due to be taken to achieve peace and security on the Balkans: observation of the principal standards of good neighbourly relations and the internationally recognized borders; promotion of transboundary cooperation and modernizing of border checkpoints aimed to facilitate the movement of goods, services, capital and people; overcoming of stagnation and stimulation of the region's economic development through the development of its infrastructure, foreign investments, financial and technological assistance; development of the region's transport, telecommunication and power infrastructure and connecting it to the European network as a basic instrument for a steady economic growth; improvement of the legislation on trade in the Balkans and swift development of bilateral trade relations by granting each other concessions; stimulation of long- term cooperation for social and economic reconstruction, establishment of democratic institutions and civil societies in a world of political stability and economic growth. The establishment of a reliable system for control over armament and of security measures on the territory of former Yugoslavia are the most important conditions for the postwar reconstruction, Dimitrov said in conclusion. He stated that the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will play a major role in this reconstruction and said that Bulgaria is ready to take part actively in this initiative.

[05] PRESIDENT ZHELEV TALKS WITH LEADERS OF THE OPPOSITION

President Zhelyu Zhelev's meeting today afternoon with leaders of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF, this country's biggest opposition force), lasted almost an hour. UDF leader Ivan Kostov joined the meeting two hours after his return from Great Britain and France, where he headed a small delegation. The meeting with President Zhelev discussed three groups of questions: the actions for Bulgaria's removal from the negative list of the European Union (EU), the issues related to power unit one of the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant, and the situation of some Bulgarian ambassadors abroad, Kostov told journalists after the meeting. Kostov reprimanded the cabinet for its hasty decision to restart power unit one of the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant. The problem of the nuclear power plant, in our view, consists in the following: France's proposal for compensations was ignored, the cabinet decided to restart power unit one without considering the proposal or satisfying the safety requirements, i.e., the decision was taken without paying due consideration to all available possibilities related to ensuring greater safety, Kostov said. Later he repeated again that "the cabinet has not exhausted all opportunities for negotiations for ensuring the greater safety of the power plant against compensations". Answering a journalist's question about the interest shown by the West in the Kozlodoui nuclear power plant, Kostov said: "The interests of the West were explained to us in the following way: 80% of the electricity in France is generated by nuclear power plants, a new failure in a nuclear power plant near the country is inadmissible as it will deal a severe blow on the nuclear power generation, especially in countries with well developed power generation". Kostov said further that during the meeting with President Zhelev, the delegation familiarized the Head of State with UDF's initiative for the necessary actions for Bulgaria's removal from the EU blacklist. Upon his arrival from Great Britain and France today, Kostov said that urgent measures should be taken for drawing up of a programme for overcoming Bulgaria's isolation in the European structures. Kostov said that UDF will propose that the Bulgarian government request from the government of Spain the country currently holding the EU presidency, to set up an international commission to investigate the motives for Bulgaria's inclusion in the negative list. Speaking before journalists, Kostov recommended that the "anti-European media campaign" be stopped. After the meeting with President Zhelev, Kostov said that UDF expressed "its firm support for the ambassadors of democratic Bulgaria, against whom the Socialist cabinet waged a campaign that seeks their removal". Kostov declined to mention specific names of ambassadors who were subject to such pressure."Bulgaria has ambassadors of the Bulgarian Socialist Party [BSP] and ambassadors of the democratic forces. Taking into account that BSP's presence in the political life is not 100%, they [the Socialists] have no right to demand a 100% seizure of all foreign contacts of this country, the more so because, as the past nine months showed [the cabinet of the BSP and its coalition partners took office in January 1995], their success is above all in the direction of moving away from the path leading to European integration," Kostov said. According to him, President Zhelev expressed a similar view as regards this issue.

[06] PRESIDENT ZHELEV TO ATTEND U.N. 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev will attend the ceremonial session of state and government leaders in New York in October 22 to 25, which will mark the 50th U.N. anniversary, the President's press office said. Zhelev will deliver a speech at the session and will hold a number of bilateral meetings during his visit to New York.

[07] BUSINESS PRESS

Libya has to date repaid USD 10 million of its liabilities to Bulgarian companies, dailies say quoting Deputy Prime Minister Doncho Konakchiev. The money came in two tranches under an agreement reached with Tripoli last summer. Libya's debt to this country amounts to USD 300 million, financiers say. An agreement on Bulgarian concessions in Libya is currently being drafted.

50-year-old American Anna McGregor is the new chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission in Bulgaria, writes "Standart News". She replaces Russel Kincaid who was placed in charge of Germany and Denmark. The new Head of the IMF Mission is expected to arrive here by year's end. She has already met the Bulgarian delegation in Washington.