Subject: Ta nea toy BTA 14-Feb-95[*] Ta nea apo thn Presbeia ths Boylgarias sthn Washington, D.C. * Elpida gia eyryterh synergasia metajy Boylgarias-HPA meta thn episkech toy Boylgaroy Proedroy sthn Amerikh. * Kata thn episkech toy stis HPA o Z. Zhelev uelei na kauorisei thn uesh ths Boylgarias sthn ejwterikh politikh kai na proselkysei ependyseis kai oikonomikh bohueia. Sto aruro anaferetai to programma twn synanthsewn ths hmeras kai antallages dhlwsewn metajy Zhelev kai W. Christopher. . Synenteyjh toy Boylgaroy Prouyp. sthn hmerhsia efhmerida "Douma" [organo toy Sosialistikoy kommatos]. . Ston proypologismo toy 1995 anaferetai o Yp. Oik. se synenteyjh toy sthn efhmerida "Douma", to opoio h oikonomikh efhmerida "Pari" xarakthrizei "plasmatiko". * O neos proedros ths epitrophs energeias einai yper ths kataskeyhs toy pyrhnikoy ergostasioy sto Belene. . Synexizontai oi diamaxes gia thn kataskeyh toy agwgoy neroy poy ua metaferei vero sthn Sofia. [Oi katoikoi yposthrizoyn oti h metafora neroy sthn Sofia ua toys katastecei kai ueloyn na stamathsoyn to ergo]. . H efhmerida "24 Chassa" anaferei oti " o Papas ua episkeftei thn Boylgaria afoy h Oruodojh Ekklhsia ths Boylgarias dioruwsei tis xaramades sthn ierarxia ths". H episkech sxediazetai gia to 1996. . Jekinhse to 4o Dieunes Panephsthmiako Ergasthrio gia Balkanikes Spoydes sthn Boylgaria. * Arxise h epishmh episkech ths Albanikhs Stratiwtikhs antiproswpeias sthn Boylgaria. Giwrgos Kapodistrias ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: bulgaria@access.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria) Subject: BTA inf/ Feb. 14, 95 Date: 14 Feb 1995 16:33:54 -0500 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C. BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY BULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIA FEBRUARY 14, 1995 PRESIDENT ZHELEV VISITS U.S. Today's press gives prominence to President Zhelyu Zhelev's three-day visit to the United States. It is hoped that the visit would lead to expansion of Bulgaria-US relations and activation of their economic ties. "Dr. Zhelev flew to Washington with the most promising program so far but the results are yet to be seen and depend on him and his delegation," the trade-union paper "Troud" says in a signed commentary. According to its author, the mission might fail for two reasons: either if acting separately the President and the Socialist ministers accompanying him "try to convince the Yankees there are two Bulgarias or if the former subservience to the East is replaced by subservience to the West". In a Sofia-Washington linkup aired on Bulgarian television last night Ambassador John Kornblum, senior US deputy assistant secretary for European and Canadian affairs, said the United States hopes the visit of Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev will contribute to the further advancement of trade and economic relations between the two countries. The US hopes to be able to help Bulgaria in its development and integration with the world structures, which would contribute to peace and stability in Europe. Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev is on a three-day official working visit to the United States accompanied by a delegation that includes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Roumen Gechev, Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski, Defense Minister Dimiter Pavlov and advisors to the President. According to Kornblum, the visit of Bulgaria's top statesmen has an important symbolic and practical meaning. He said that the visit demonstrates the close relations between the two countries and their shared desire for cooperation. In Kornblum's opinion, the most important aspect of the visit is that it will show the high level of Bulgaria-US political cooperation which the sides will continue to expand. Kornblum expressed his hope that the visit will encourage investors who are not as active as the US and Bulgaria would like them to be. The visit is a sign of close friendship and of the support the US gives to President Zhelev to show that investment in Bulgaria is possible and that this is something worth to work on. The visit is going to be used to demonstrate the US appreciation for the positive developments which have taken place in Bulgaria in recent years, Kornblum said. He stated that the US are encouraged by the position of Bulgaria which works in close cooperation with the US on the problems of the Yugoembargo and on all matters concerning the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He expressed the satisfaction of the US that Bulgaria joined the Partnership for Peace initiative which, as he said, draws it closer to NATO. Ambassador Kornblum stated that the US sees in Bulgaria a positive and reliable partner in the region. "Continent" and "Troud" note that the Socialist Prime Minister, Zhan Videnov, did not see the head of state off. "It's a question of political ethic," President Zhelev said in reply to the question if he expected the PM to see him off "Troud" asked him at the end of last week. A signed commentary in "Continent" cites Reuters as saying that President Zhelev left for the United States "hoping to win the moral advantage in a smoldering row with his country's resurgent former communists". "But by soliciting the support of a foreign state in his dispute with the Socialists over the right to run the country's foreign policy the President makes the same mistake his political opponents do by making him out a figurehead before the world," the author says. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIA TO SEEK U.S. SUPPORT FOR INVESTMENT President Zhelyu Zhelev will seek to restate Bulgaria's foreign policy and foreign orientation during his three-day official working visit to the United States which started today, journalists learned from the Bulgarian head of state during his flight to Washington. President Zhelyu Zhelev was invited to visit the US by President Bill Clinton last December. Zhelev's talks in Washington will end on February 15, when the delegation will stop over for a few hours in New York to meet business and financial representatives. The official delegation includes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Roumen Gechev, Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski, Defense Minister Dimiter Pavlov and presidential advisors. The sides are expected to sign accords concerning bilateral relations, including a joint declaration on relations between Bulgaria and the US, outlining intentions and having no mandatory nature; an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation; an agreement on cooperation between state-owned educational and scientific institutions of the two countries based on the latter; and an agreement on financial assistance to Bulgarian non-governmental organizations. Continuity is the key word to Bulgaria's foreign policy which will be presented to the American side, Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski said. In his view, changes can be expected only in the balance and the effectiveness of Bulgaria's foreign policy. The government officials accompanying the President expect a positive response from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which, according to Deputy Prime Minister Roumen Gechev, will be pleased with the Socialist cabinet's intention to keep the budget deficit under control, to hold inflationary factors in check, increase budget revenues through tighter tax and financial discipline, speed up privatization and create a more attractive environment for foreign investment. Bulgaria will seek US support for an increase in investment in the power industry, telecommunications, the transport infrastructure, as well as assistance in its talks with the international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF. The issue about the damage sustained by Bulgaria as a result of the sanctions against Yugoslavia will be raised categorically. Bulgaria will ask the US to use its influence in the UN for an increase in this country's export quotas for textiles, chemicals, ceramics, semi-finished products, etc., by way of partial compensation. Bulgaria will make a request to be granted most-favored-nation status. Late in the afternoon (at about midnight Bulgarian time), President Zhelev will meet with US President Bill Clinton at the White House. At the same time Maria Zheleva will be meeting Hillary Rodham Clinton. Today President Zhelev will have talks with Secretary of State Warren Christopher over lunch and with Defense Secretary William Perry at the Pentagon, as well as with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He will attend a ceremony at Arlington Military Cemetery where he will lay a wreath and a memorial plaque. - Bulgarian-American relations are warm and constructive, US Defense Secretary William Perry said today at the beginning of his meeting with Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev, who added the word "promising" to the description. Zhelev was welcomed with full military honors at the main entrance to the Pentagon this morning. President Zhelev and Secretary of State Christopher reviewed the guard of honor representing the services. The national flags of Bulgaria and the US were hoisted. Twenty-one salvoes were fired in honor of the guest. Late in the afternoon (about midnight Bulgarian time), President Zhelev will meet US President Bill Clinton at the White House. At the same time Maria Zheleva will be meeting Hillary Rodham Clinton. Bulgaria is making ambitious steps on the road to a market economy but at the same time it is seriously affected by the Yugoembargo, US Secretary of State Christopher said today. Before the official lunch he gave to Dr. Zhelev and the delegation accompanying him, the head of the US diplomacy said it was an honor for him to welcome the Bulgarian President, who is a real democrat. Dr. Zhelev, for his part, invited Warren Christopher to turn his attention to the Balkans and visit Sofia where a Balkan summit could be held. He said that notwithstanding the difficulties in the economic and political sphere, Bulgaria continues to pursue its way to democracy. President Zhelev further stressed the serious impact Bulgaria is sustaining as a result of the implementation of the UN embargoes in the Gulf and former Yugoslavia. "We rely on the support that the US offers all post-communist countries," said Dr. Zhelev. President Zhelev today also met US Defense Secretary William Perry. Bulgarian-American relations are warm and constructive, the US Defense Secretary said at the beginning of the meeting with Dr. Zhelev, who added the word "promising" to the description. The meeting discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to Bulgaria's national security, its relations with NATO, Balkan security and the US commitments in this sphere within Partnership for Peace, said the Bulgarian President. He said the interesting discussion caused the meeting to last longer than was initially planned. The American side was reportedly interested in Bulgaria's view on the latest developments in the Bosnian conflict, other possible conflicts in the Balkans and the measures that could be taken to ensure the favorable development of the events. Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimiter Pavlov said the meeting at the Pentagon focused on the bilateral relations over the past six months and their future development. The hosts reiterated their readiness to grant part of the technical and transport equipment of the US military excesses to Bulgaria. The two countries today signed an agreement on US financial aid to Bulgarian non-government organizations for a total of 3.5 million US dollars. President Zhelev laid wreaths and a memorial plaque at the Pantheon to the unknown soldier at the Arlington military cemetery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ P.M. VIDENOV INTERVIEWED "People's trust is the Socialists' strongest trump card," Prime Minister Zhan Videnov says in an interview for "Douma", the daily of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). In his opinion, people should live up to their expectations for an improvement of the situation in the country. "If not in 100 days, in a year or two we must hold the devastation in order to renew Bulgaria by the end of our term in office - on the threshold of next century - and meet the new challenges, Videnov says. Better administration, measures to curb rampant crime, eliminating the danger of financial collapse and support for agriculture are the Government's major tasks, he states. PM Videnov's Cabinet is going to publish a White Paper on the situation in the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1995 DRAFT BUDGET The projections for a budget deficit of 3-3.5 percent of the gross domestic product are made by taking into account the actual funds-raising possibilities, Dimiter Kostov, Minister of Finance in the Socialist Cabinet, says in an interview for "Douma". "The purpose is to reduce the inflationary potential in the economy," he goes on to say. In his opinion, economic recovery can be achieved by channeling more investment resources to production. To him, it is important to sign new arrangements with the International Monetary Fund and the negotiations should start as soon as possible. It is necessary to develop a program for debt for equity swaps which should also make provisions for investments; working out the program will take four or five months, the Minister of Finance States. "Budget Raises a Lot of Questions", reads the headline of the leading story in the financial news daily "Pari". According to the author, the projected budget deficit is unrealistic. "At first glance the macroeconomic framework is the first serious indication that the Socialists are keen on concluding an agreement with the IMF,' she writes. "However, if the Cabinet has decided to repeat the trick [Lyuben] Berov's cabinet made last year - an unrealistic macroeconomic framework to the inconsistency of which the IMF shut its eyes to, it is doubtful that the Fund would repeat its gesture." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION "Standart News" carries an article by newly appointed Chairman of the Energy Committee, Nikita Shervashidze, headlined "It's Time to Decide the Future of the Belene N- plant". Though many are inclined to forget the project, it is always actual because over 1,000 million dollars have already been spent on it, Shervashidze writes. He expresses his hope that a civilized discussion on the project will be held shortly and sets forth his arguments in favor of its construction, the major one being that as Bulgaria's only natural resource is low-calorie lignite coal, it has got to import energy resources, which costs it one-third of its annual national revenue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONFLICTS The conflict over the construction of the "Djerman-Skakavitsa" intake system, intended to improve Sofia's water supplies is still in the highlights of the press. Under the headline "Sofia Does Not Want Bloody Water", "Demokratsiya" front-pages a report from Sapareva Banya where the local population gathered yesterday for another rally to protest against the construction of the pipeline. The daily cites "some more cases of the police beating innocent people on Saturday." The "Djerman- Skakavitsa" is under intense construction and the protest is already silent, "Troud" says. "Standart News" reports that two construction officers and a soldier were injured by stones thrown by the citizens of Sapareva Banya. The daily quotes the General Administration of the Construction Corps as saying that the militaries did not respond in order to avoid further tensioning. The militaries have switched to two-shift work in an effort to complete the work within the time period set by the Government. The beatings in Sapareva Banya are nothing, compared to the case in which police officers terrorized the population of Rakitovo in the Rhodopi mountains, "Demokratsiya" says. According to the daily, a journalistic investigation found "evidence about police outrages under the cover of an action intended to halt illegal cutting of the forests in the municipality". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pope John-Paul II will visit Bulgaria only after the Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church heals the rift in its ranks, "24 Chassa" says in connection with the report of the Italian news agency ANSA about a planned visit of the Pope to Sofia in 1996. The daily quotes Bulgaria's Ambassador to the Vatican City Kiril Marichkov as saying that no official invitation has been sent to the Pope so far. An editorial commentary in the daily says that only an official invitation in writing by President Zhelev may clarify whether the Pope intends to come to Bulgaria or not. A written invitation will be a clear declaration that Bulgaria expects the Pope's visit as an international political event that could remove the stigma attached to this country with the involvement of its name in the assault against the Pope, "24 Chassa" says. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY WORKSHOP ON BALKAN STUDIES Bansko (Southwestern Bulgaria), February 13) - The fourth international university workshop on Balkan studies opened in Bansko. This traditional forum is held under the auspices of UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture and Education and the Open Society Fund. Students of 10 European countries including Bulgaria attended a Bulgarian language course that opened today within the framework of the workshop. It was launched by Prof. Dr. Iliya Konev, who chairs the workshop, with a lecture on "Bansko: Center of Learning". In the afternoon the trainees visited the nearby village of Eleshnitsa, where they acquainted themselves with the rich collection of historical, ethnographic and archaeological materials of the local museum. A course of historical anthropology will be held by the end of this month. The Bansko forum will end with a round table discussion on the holy places in the Balkans. The workshop is being held with the financial assistance of private and state- run companies of Bansko and the region, the Nevrokop eparchy and the American University of Blagoevgrad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIA - ALBANIA Sofia, February 13 - An Albanian military delegation headed by the Deputy Chief of the Albanian General Staff, Major General Agim Baruti, arrived on a three-day visit to Bulgaria on February 13. Bulgarian and Albanian top military officials will discuss the results of the two armies' military cooperation. They are expected to sign a protocol on military cooperation in 1995, Captain Tsvyatko Donchev, head of the Defense Ministry's press office, told "Daily News". The guests will visit the Rakovski Military Academy in Sofia and meet cadets and lecturers. Bulgaria and Albania made their first commitment to top level military cooperation in 1992, when then defense minister Alexander Staliiski paid an official visit to Albania. On April 7, 1993, defense minister Valentin Alexandrov and his Albanian counterpart Safet Xhulali signed an agreement on five-year military cooperation between the two ministries. Following the 1993 visit to Sofia by the Chief of the Albanian General Staff, Lieutenant General Ilia Vasho, military experts drew up a program for cooperation in 1994 in the field of military science and medicine, civil defense, culture and sports. ==============================================================================