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Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), 96-12-04Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Embassy of Bulgaria <bulgaria@access1.digex.net>EMBASSY OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C.BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY3 & 4 December, 1996CONTENTS
[01] BULGARIA TO PARTICIPATE IN US INITIATIVEA Bulgarian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin Glavanakov will participate in the inauguration in Geneva on December 5 and 6 of a US initiative for cooperation in Southeastern Europe (launched by Richard Schifter of the US European Command in March 1996), said the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry spokesman. He familiarized the media with the main objectives of the US plan and noted that the declaration of the Sofia meeting of the foreign ministers of Balkan countries covered a little wider range of issues. According to Karasimeonov, the advantage of the Bulgarian initiative is that it came from the Balkan nations themselves. "Bulgaria will support the US initiative in principle. We think that this initiative, an European Union stability plan and other ideas add to each other. We think we should develop mechanisms for interaction among all these initiatives," Karasimeonov said.[02] OSCE SUMMIT IN LISBONLisbon, December 2 (BTA spec. corr. Atanas Matev) - The ambitious task of formulating a security model for Europe in the 21st century gathered state and government leaders of 52 European states, the United States and Canada in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon today. The two-day summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is also attended by observers of other countries, representatives of the UN, the EU and the Western European Union (WEU).The fourth OSCE meeting should decide how to strengthen "democratic culture" in the zone of the OSCE on the eve of the new century, how to consolidate peace and security in Europe and how to combat aggressive nationalism and potential conflicts on the Continent. The OSCE should provide the guidelines of a new security architecture in Europe which should become a security zone for all European peoples, said Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres at the opening session. The purpose of the Lisbon summit is clear but its realization is bound to come across serious difficulties. Of all documents which are to be adopted only one was ready this morning when the summit opened. It provides for a new round of conventional arms talks in Europe to revise the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty signed in Paris between NATO and the Warsaw Treaty member states. No agreement has been reached on the other documents, the most controversial one being on the role of the OSCE in European security. In his statement to the summit, Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin set forth a programme to strengthen OSCE role in this respect. Chernomyrdin expressed his country's "firm opposition" against NATO's plans to expand eastwards and said that the legal basis of the all-European process should become stronger, that a new charter on the European security should be drafted. The OSCE should assume the coordinating role in the effort of all European and Euro- Atlantic organizations, the Russian Prime Minister said. Responding to Chernomyrdin's statement, U.S. Vice President Al Gore said that the OSCE should not become "the only orchestrating element in Europe", that NATO's expansion in Central Europe will strengthen the stability in the region and will contribute to peace across Europe. Gore took a stand for constructive cooperation between organizations like NATO, WEU, EU and OSCE in resolving "hard situations". France interfered in the dispute taking a stand which seemed to support Russia's position. According to French President Jacques Chirac, the OSCE should become an "efficient instrument for putting an end to the bloc division in Europe" which existed for many years. During the summit, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Irina Bokova met with Gay Mitchell, Georgios Papandreou and Seises da Costa who are in charge of the problems of European integration in their countries, Ireland, Greece and Portugal respectively. Bokova talked about the integration processes in the EU and Bulgaria's place in them. [03] BULGARIAN, RUSSIAN INTERIOR MINISTRIES COOPERATESofia, December 2 (BTA) - The Russian Interior Ministry provided information for the investigation into the murder of Socialist MP and former Prime Minister Andrei Loukanov. Loukanov, 58, was gunned by an unknown assassin in front of his home in an upscale Sofia neighbourhood on October 2. The Russian side have sent to the investigative bodies information referring some Bulgarian-Russian firms, Col. Yury Ermolaev, a representative of the Russian Interior Ministry in Bulgaria, says in an interview for the "Standart News" daily today. "If more assistance is required, we are ready to provide it," he says in what is his first interview for the Bulgarian mass media. Col. Ermolaev was appointed to his Sofia office on June 13 under a 1993 accord between the Bulgarian and Russian Interior Ministries. Former counterintelligence chief Stefan Dimitrov was sent to represent the Bulgarian Interior Ministry in Moscow.[04] GREEK MILITARY DELEGATION ARRIVESSofia, December 2 (BTA) - A Greek military delegation, led by Colonel General Atanasios Dzoganis, Chief of the General Staff of Greece's National Defence, opened an official visit here today. The Greek guests visit at the invitation of the Chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army. The program of the visit includes meetings with President Zhelyu Zhelev, Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov, MPs of the Parliamentary Committee of National Security and visits to military units. The Bulgarian and Greek delegations are expected to sign a bilateral military cooperation plan for 1997.[05] GERMAN COMPANY BIDS FOR CEMENT PLANTSofia, December 2 (BTA) - German-based Knauf will bid for 51% of the shares of the cement plant in Beli Izvor near Vratsa (northwestern Bulgaria). Bidders also include other foreign firms, said officials from the plant which uses German technology and equipment. According to the government's privatization programme, the plant has to be sold by year-end. A total of 12.5% can be bought by employees.The plant is the second biggest of its kind in Bulgaria. It has turned out 200,000 t of cement and 140,000 t of clinker since the start of this year. Eighty per cent of output is exported, to the US, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, etc. In 1995 it received a market expansion award from an international club of corporate leaders in trade in construction materials based in Madrid, competing against 59 cement producers in the world. [06] PROJECTED DROP IN BULGARIAN-MACEDONIAN COMMERCIAL EXCHANGESofia, December 2 (BTA) - From USD 500 million in 1995, Bulgaria's commercial exchange with Macedonia will drop to USD 150 million at the year- end, it emerged at a news conference of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) today. Contracts concluded by October 1996 total USD 130 million, Head of the Southeastern Europe Department in the Trade Ministry Minko Gerdjikov said.Agreements on trade and economic cooperation, on avoidance of double taxation and on mutual protection of investment have been negotiated, but do not take effect due to the language dispute between the sides. Negotiations on setting up a free trade zone with Macedonia, similar to the ones with Slovenia and the Czech Republic, have begun. Gerdjikov said that the agreement will be drafted by March 1997. It has been proposed that the document be written in English so as to accelerate its signing. Officials of the Bulgarian Trade Ministry believe that thanks to the duty-free imports in the free trade area, the commercial exchange between Bulgaria and Macedonia may increase to up to 50%. Commercial exchange between the two countries is carried out by 120 Macedonian companies and 77 representation offices and by 100 Bulgarian companies and 20 representation offices. Bulgarian exports to Macedonia include metals, nitric fertilizers, sugar, timber, power lines, ethylene, oil products and fuels, and chicken meat. Macedonian exports to Bulgaria include lead ores and concentrates, ferroalloys, zinc ores, copper, aluminium, tobacco, apples, pears, leathers, synthetic rubber and fibres. The inefficient banking services hinder trade, the Macedonian partners said. They listed the names of three viable banks: Commercialbank, the Economic Bank and the Balkan Bank whose principal shareholder is the Bulgarian Credit Bank. The Bulgarian officials named Bulbank and the Bulgarian Post Bank as two of this country's best banks. [07] VOUCHER PRIVATIZATION FUNDS' BIDS OPENEDSofia, December 2 (BTA) - The opening of privatization fund bids under Bulgaria's voucher privatization scheme started on Monday mornig. The bids, made at the first auction, were kept in the vault at the central bank. Eighty-one sealed envelopes were taken in an armoured car to the building of the Auction Committee. The Centre for Mass Privatization is expected to process the funds' bids by December 8. They are to be classified along with individual bids by December 13. The results of the first auction will be published around December 16, said Yossif Iliev, the Auction Committee's Chairman. At the next stage of voucher privatization shareholders will be registered. Some 1,150 enterprises are subject to privatization with total capital assets of 200,000 million leva, of which 95,000 million will go private.[08] PRESIDENT ZHELEV ADDRESSES OSCE FORUM, HOLDS MEETINGSLisbon, December 3 (BTA Spec. Corr. Atanas Matev) - The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) faces the task to find the best ways to optimize its functioning as an organization and an inseparable element of European and world security architecture, Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev said in his address to the OSCE summit in Lisbon.One of the new fields of discussion is an all-embracing security model for the 21st century. We expect these discussions to bring an important result after taking into consideration the parallel efforts of other organizations competent on security matters. We are supportive of the idea for creating a common security space within the OSCE without new dividing lines, that will match the interests of all states irrespective of their membership in other organizations, Dr Zhelev also said in his address. The speaker stressed Bulgaria's particular interest in the regional dimensions of security and stability. Recalling that Bulgaria hosted meetings of the foreign ministers of Southeastern Europe and the ministers of transport of the Central European Initiative and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, Dr. Zhelev emphasized that in its policy toward its neighbours Bulgaria is implementing the highest European standards. President Zhelev is convinced that the forum will provide guidelines for the work of the organization in facing the challenges of the coming century. It emerged that Dr. Zhelev's address was a product of cooperation between the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry. The Bulgarian President met Council of Europe Secretary General Daniel Tarschys who was particularly interested in the economic hurdles facing Bulgaria and the ways it has chosen to overcome them. Dr. Zhelev had over an hour's meeting with his Macedonian counterpart, Kiro Gligorov. The Bulgarian President said they were unanimous that the countries found themselves in an embarrassing situation after failing to sign an interstate treaty and a dozen of other accords over linguistic controversies which, he believes, must be settled in a reasonable way. The two Heads of State talked without the help of an interpreter. First Deputy Foreign Minister Irina Bokova said she has handed representatives of the European Union here a letter from Bulgarian Prime Minister Zhan Videnov asking for financial aid for the purchase of grain by Bulgaria. Sofia, December 3 (BTA) - Bulgaria's First Deputy Foreign Minister Irina Bokova conferred with Seises da Costa, Secretary of State for European Integration of Portugal, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said. The sides discussed a number of aspects of European integration. Bokova confirmed Bulgaria's position on equal treatment of the associated countries and on opening membership negotiations with them simultaneously. Bokova stated that notwithstanding the difficulties of transition and the critical point reforms have reached, Bulgaria's membership in the European Union remains a priority of its foreign policy. The Portuguese side promised support and assistance at the December 6 meeting in Brussels on providing grain aid to Bulgaria. [09] PARLIAMENT CHAIRMAN ON THE CURRENCY BOARDSofia, December 3 (BTA) - By year's end the Cabinet should work out and submit to Parliament options for the introduction of a currency board in Bulgaria, Parliament Chairman Blagovest Sendov told a news conference on Tuesday. The options will be debated in Parliament early in 1997 after an adjournment from December 22 until January 10.A currency board may be introduced either through amendments to the law on the National Bank of Bulgaria and the Banks and Lending Act, among others, or through a special Act of Parliament. "I believe the first option would be better," Sendov said, adding that by year's end the Cabinet should introduce before Parliament the 1997 Budget Bill. On Monday the Cabinet began discussing two versions of the budget - with and without a currency board. "It is unanimously agreed that a serious step like introducing a currency board is needed; the moot point is who should do it and on what conditions, " Sendov said, summing up consultations on the issue in recent weeks. Asked about his opinion, Sendov, who is a mathematician and academician, said that according to control theory, a switch from one operating mode to another should be almost instantaneous, while "we have been thinking too long which impairs control". [10] DEFENCE MINISTER SUMS UP HIS MINISTRY'S OPERATIONSofia, December 3 (BTA) - In the foreseeable future, just like it did over the past two years, the Bulgarian Army will continue to be dependent to a great extent on the material and financial shortages, which reflect the overall grave economic situation in Bulgaria. Despite the difficulties, however, the Bulgarian Army and the Defence Ministry managed to stop the deterioration of combat and operational training. The Defence Ministry manages to maintain a high level of combat and mobilization readiness, adequate to the new realities in the region and in Europe as well as a deterrent power so that to realize an overall military reform, Defence Minister Dimiter Pavlov said today at a news briefing, summing up the performance of his ministry since the Government of the Socialist-dominated coalition came to power nearly two years ago.The foundations of a new military legislation have been laid, the Minister said. The new Defence and Armed Forces Act has already been enforced, together with the new Voluntary Military Service Regulations and a number of new statutes and other acts, Minister Pavlov said. The Supreme Military Council if drafting new plans for combat and mobilization readiness and a number of other documents, which will of support to the army's development, the Defence Minister also said. They will be submitted to the Government and moved to the National Assembly, he said. Over the past two years the Bulgarian Army realized five tactical regimental exercises, while during the preceding two years period it held only battalion exercises, Minister Pavlov recalled. The restoration of the Inspectorate allowed the Ministry to exercise more active civil control over the army, he said. Strict organisation was introduced in the army structure and a number of measures were taken to upgrade the social and material status of the professional servicemen, the Minister said. In the period under review the Ministry's international activity was particularly successful, Minister Pavlov said. "In coordination with the Foreign Ministry we worked for the achievement of security, for association with the European and the Euro-Atlantic structures and for active joint participation in the building of a common European security architecture," he said. Minister Pavlov mentioned the close contacts of Bulgaria and its Defence Ministry with NATO, WEU, OSCE. [11] BULGARIAN OPPOSITION BACKS PROTESTS IN BELGRADESofia, December 3 (BTA) - The Bulgarian opposition voiced its support for the protests in Belgrade against alleged rigging of elections by the ruling Socialists. "What happens in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) is unprecedented given the situation in Europe after the fall of the Berlin wall," Vassil Gotsev, Deputy Leader of the largest opposition formation, Union of Democratic Forces, told journalists today. Gotsev said there is not other country in the world in which election defeat has not been conceded. Although FRY is not a member of the European organizations it aspires to join them but this will be impossible with its current conduct, he added."According to UDF, the developments in Serbia show it is impossible that a Government remains in office in case it hasn't got the support of the people and tries to rule regardless of the lawful vote," "Demokratsiya" quotes Gotsev as saying today. The Serb people want to live in freedom and democracy, he noted. The opposition leaders ruled out the possibility that such things happen in Bulgaria adding the democratic process in this country has made progress. [12] NEW BRIDGE TO SPAN DANUBEOryahovo, December 3 (BTA) - The Romanian company Sped is ready to invest in the construction of a new bridge which is to span the River Danube between Oryahovo, Bulgaria, and Bechet, Romania.There are no legal obstacles to building the bridge, Oryahovo Mayor Toshko Tsonkov said today after seeing the Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria Vasile Tanase and executives of Sped. He noted that agreement has been reached on joint activity between the Romanian entrepreneur and the Bulgarian contractor, the General Administration of the Construction Corps. An authorization for start of the construction work is expected. [13] SEMINAR ON EUROPEAN SECURITYSofia, December 3 (BTA) - A three-day seminar on the topic "New European Security Architecture and Problems of Early Conflict Prevention" started today in Sofia. The seminar is sponsored by the "East- Programme" of the Open Society Foundation. Security problems will be discussed by experts from Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic. Guests from Georgia, FR Yugoslavia and Bulgaria have also been invited.[14] PRESIDENT ELECT STOYANOV HANDED ZION AWARDSofia, December 3 (BTA) - President Elect Peter Stoyanov received a certificate for the Bulgarian people's merits to the saving of the Bulgarian Jews during World War II which was handed to him by Yaakov Dvir- Djerassi, President of the Zion Bulgarian Jewish Committee.Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria David Cohen was present at the ceremony and was also handed such a certificate. The first copy of the document was handed to Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in gratitude to his father for having saved the Bulgarian Hews. The representatives of the Jewish Committee gave Stoyanov a letter congratulating him on his election as President and expressing hope for useful cooperation. Bulgarian Telegraph Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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