Subject: Ta nea toy BTA 20-Feb-95[**] Ta nea apo thn Presbeia ths Boylgarias sthn Washington, D.C. . Sxolia toy hmerhsioy typoy gia ta apotelesmata ths episkechs toy Boylgaroy proedroy stis HPA. * O Boylgaros Proedros Z. Zhelev enhmerwse thn antipoliteysh (Enwsh twn Dhmokratikwn Dynamewn klp) gia thn episkech toy stis HPA, kai dieceyse dhmosieyma Toyrkikhs Efhmeridas. . Eortasmos gia thn mnhmh toy Levski (Hrwa ths epanastashs kata twn Toyrkwn). . Synanthsh toy Prouyp. Z. Videnov me epixeirhmaties. . Sxhmatisthkan oi antiproswpies apo melh toy Koinoboylioy poy ua ekproswpisoyn thn Boylgaria se Eyrwpaikes kai Dieuneis synanthseis. . Antiproswpoi apo to DNT kai thn Dieunh Trapeza ua yposthrijoyn to oikonomiko programma ths kybernhshs. ** Apospasmata apo ton hmerhsio typo. Anafora sthn "mh" dhlwsh toy Zhelev sto praktoreio "Anatolia" [symfwna me dhmosieyma toy o Zhelev eipe oti "h Toyrkia einai h monh xwra poy den exei epiuetikh atzenta kata ths Boylgarias"]. Epishs anafora se dhmosieyma ths efhmeridas "BHMA" gia thn dhmioyrgia stratiwtikoy ajona Elladas-Boylgarias. * Dhmosieyma gia kataskopia yper ths Toyrkias. ** Dhmosieyma me uema "H aytapath ths Balkanikhs omospondias". * Synenteyjh me ton YpEj ths Kroatias. . Dhmosieyma gia kataskopia yper ths Serbias. . Anaferetai Ellhnas san emporos narkwtikwn sthn Boylgaria. . Anafora sto proypologismo gia thn Amyna ths Boylgarias. ** Melh toy UMRO moirazoyn xartes ths "enwmenhs Makedonias se perioxes ths Notiodytikhs Boylgarias. ** Symfwnies metajy Boylgarias-pGDM [grammenes sta Agglika]. * Symfwna me efhmerides oi HPA ua poylhsoyn opla monternas texnologias se 10 Anatolikes xwres [metjy aytwn kai h Boylgaria]. . Efhmerida anaferei oti h krish neroy poy plhtei thn Boylgaria einai sxediasmenh edw kai 5 xronia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: bulgaria@access.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria) Subject: BTA inf/ Feb. 20, 95 Date: 21 Feb 1995 09:14:55 -0500 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C. BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY BULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIA FEBRUARY 20, 1995 PRESIDENT ZHELEV - U.S. VISIT "The visit which Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev and a group of government ministers completed in the US yesterday was a clear success," writes "Douma." "This trip took Bulgaria a big step closer to integration into the world security structures and into the efficient segment of the world economy," the author observes. "The Bulgarian-American declaration signed in the US is of very high value, of primary importance, and it upgrades bilateral relations to a new level," writes "Demokratsiya," quoting Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski who accompanied Dr. Zhelev. According to "Continent," Mr. Pirinski sees the Bulgarian President's initiative on a Balkan summit as an expression of good will to help the countries in the region converge their positions. "In Washington, Bulgaria demonstrated for the first time a single stand on foreign policy priorities and economic reform," writes "Standart News." "If a Balkan summit is arranged in Sofia, this would naturally be an all-state effort," President Zhelev says in an interview for "24 Chassa." "I believe that as politicians they [the US officials] realize sufficiently well that such a meeting held in exactly the most sensitive region could be of great political importance for the States and the entire region and above all for Bulgaria," Dr. Zhelev notes. "We managed to persuade our partners at the IMF and the World Bank of the need to revise economic policy; common understanding was reached on the main economic areas," said Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development Minister Roumen Gechev, quoted in "Troud." "Bulgarian-US military-to-military relations are making even faster progress than state-to-state relations," said another members of the delegation, Defense Minister Dimiter Pavlov, referring to the Bulgarian officials' meetings with top US servicemen. Mr. Pavlov made this statement in an interview for the Defense Ministry daily "Bulgarska Armiya." "If Bulgaria achieves its cause to gain NATO membership, the credit will definitely go to the President and not to the President," notes "Standart News" in a signed article entitled "Bulgaria Creates Impression of NATO-Phobia." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PRESIDENT ZHELEV BRIEFS OPPOSITION ON U.S. VISIT Sofia, February 17 - President Zhelyu Zhelev today briefed the parliamentary groups of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) and Popular Union on the results of his visit to the United States on February 13-15. We are happy with what the President has done and particularly with the memorandum of the US administration on the losses Bulgaria has sustained as a result of the implementation of the UN embargo against Iraq and rump Yugoslavia, SDS floor leader Yordan Sokolov said after the meeting with Dr. Zhelev. During his visit to the US, the President stressed this country's foreign policy priorities, which have our support as well, including its aspirations to integrate into the European and Euro-Atlantic structures, Sokolov also said. At the meeting with the MPs of the SDS, Dr. Zhelev reportedly voiced his discontent with the press interpretations of his idea for a Balkan summit, brought forth during the visit to the US. A meeting with the leaders of the Popular Union (of Democrats and Agrarians) followed immediately after that with the MPs of the SDS. Agrarians' leader Anastasia Moser said after the meeting the Popular Union invited the President for a meeting next week to discuss domestic policy issues, including amendments to the law on land. Commenting on statements attributed to him by the Turkish Sabah newspaper, Dr. Zhelev said they were distorted and detached from the context of the interview that the Turkish paper claimed he has given for the Anatolian News Agency. Dr. Zhelev's statement was prompted by a report in which this Turkish paper quoted him as saying that "ever since 1885, Turkey has been the only Balkan country that has not attacked Bulgaria". Presidential spokesman Valentin Stoyanov said Dr. Zhelev have not been interviewed by the Anatolian News Agency. He specified the above quotation was taken from Dr. Zhelev's statement before foreign journalists last week. Dr. Zhelev assured the representatives of the Popular Union that Bulgaria will pursue a balanced and stabilizing Balkan policy. The results of the US visit were high on the agenda of a meeting Dr. Zhelev had with the parliamentary group of the ethnic Turks' Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS). The DPS fully supports Dr. Zhelev's initiative for a Balkan summit in Sofia, DPS deputy floor leader Gyuner Tahir said. He believes a top level meeting would be in the interests of all Balkan states. According to him, Bulgaria should seek real NATO membership. He also said the DPS believes that Partnership for Peace is a step to NATO membership. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIA PAYS HOMAGE TO LEVSKI, THE APOSTLE OF FREEDOM Sofia, February 19 - Thousands of Bulgarians across the country today laid flowers at monuments to Vassil Levski (1837-73), to mark the 122 anniversary of his hanging in Sofia. A ceremony at Levski's monument in Sofia, built on the place where the gallows stood, was attended by President Zhelyu Zhelev, National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov, Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, cabinet officials, MPs and representatives of political forces. Attending was also Bulgarian Patriarch Maksim, accompanied by high clerics. Levski was the ideologue of Bulgarian national revolution. He traveled across Bulgaria setting up revolutionary committees to lead people in a revolt against a 500-year Turkish rule. Levski is the only undisputed personality in Bulgaria's history. His name has always been revered regardless of the political regime. Streets, schools, stadiums, sport clubs in all cities and villages in this country bear his name. The question of officially canonizing Levski as a saint has been brought forth on a number of occasions, all the more so that as a young man he was a monk. In the national consciousness Levski has long ago become a saint. Just like the Christian apostles, he went across Bulgaria's lands to preach revolt against the oppressors and now people unanimously refer to him as the Apostle of Freedom. In his address at today's ceremony in Sofia, President Zhelev recalled Levski's ideas for freedom, struggle, self-sacrifice, pure and sacred republic, brotherhood among all Balkan nations with all people being equal before the law regardless of their ethnicity or religion. "If Bulgaria now has a reputation as a tolerant and respectable country with no ethnic or religious conflicts, where xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism are alien to the people, this we owe to Vassil Levski, to his democratic and humane ideas," Dr. Zhelev said in his address. The President further hailed the idea for building a monument to Levski in front of the Bulgarian Embassy in the US and called upon government institutions, political forces and public organizations to back the undertaking. A traditional tattoo yesterday marked the anniversary in Levski's home town, Karlovo. It was attended by the National Assembly Chairman, MPs, public figures and members of the public. The events on the anniversary in Karlovo continued today. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ P.M. VIDENOV MEETS CEOs, PRIVATE ENTREPRENEURS Sofia, February 18 - Some 250 chief executives and private entrepreneurs today met Prime Minister Zhan Videnov at his request. The meeting was attended by cabinet ministers in the sphere of economy. The meeting sought to use the influence of chief executives and private entrepreneurs in the structural adjustment of the economy, said the Prime Minister. It set the beginning of a dialogue in which the cabinet will by represented by the Ministry of Economic Development, and the business programs of major Bulgarian enterprises would be analyzed and subject to consultations within this dialogue in the coming weeks, Videnov went on to say. He believes today's three-hour meeting accomplished its task to exchange reasonable views on the possibilities to turn the brief symptoms of economic recovery into a persistent upward trend. Videnov further singled out the burdensome reciprocal liabilities as a pressing problem that should be urgently addressed. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, he said an impetus of 10,000- 20,000 million leva ushered into the reciprocal liabilities circuit would solve the problem. He went to cite power production as the best example: "It owes exactly as much as it has to collect". Industrialists and entrepreneurs complained mostly of the high interest rates they have to pay on loans. The Prime Minister also said the bankruptcy of major state- run banks would be a disaster and would not be allowed to happen. The cabinet team believe that the absurd of having major sectors of the economy, like transport and power production, serviced by minor banks, should change. The foreign trade regulations, too, should be revised, said the Prime Minister. The other participants in the meeting stressed the absence of government policy as the major cause for the lost foreign markets and shrinking inflow of foreign exchange. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sofia, February 17 - Parliament today named the members of delegations to represent it at international fora. Next on the agenda was question time. The lineup of the delegations passed summarily as the parliamentary groups have agreed on this matter in advance. The only controversial issue was the composition of the 5-member delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO, with the Bulgarian Business Bloc (BBB) and the ethnic Turks' Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) disputing the fifth seat. Parliament backed the nomination of BBB leader George Ganchev. With this the composition of the delegation was set: the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and its coalition partners (environmentalists and Agrarians), controlling a 125-seat majority in the 240-seat Parliament, have 2 members in the delegation, as the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (SDS), Popular Union and the BBB, get 1 member each. Ten MPs were named as members of a group for relations with the European Parliament. The group would be led by Nikolai Kamov MP of the BSP. The BSP- led coalition has another 5 members in the group, the SDS 2 members, and the other three parliamentary groups, 1 member each. Four MPs were placed in charge of representing Bulgaria at the sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union: 2 of the BSP-led coalition and 1 of the SDS and the Popular Union. As leader of the group was named Emil Filipov of the BSP ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MF, WORLD BANK READY TO BACK BULGARIAN CABINET'S DECISION Sofia, February 19 - The Bulgarian cabinet is planning to boost the economic growth without increasing the budget expenditures or issuing new money. The ways to accomplish this were high on the agenda of a meeting of cabinet ministers in the sphere of economy, central bank chiefs and cabinet experts, with officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, held here over the past two days. A source from the meeting said the officials of the international financial institutions showed understanding and accepted the view that an economic revival is possible without pushing inflation up. At their first meeting with the cabinet of Socialist Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, Michael Deppler of the IMF European department and World Bank chief economist for Europe and Central Asia Marcelo Selovski, inquired about the instruments to be used in the structural adjustment of the economy. The Bulgarian side declared it would not seek sources for the economic growth in the expenditure side of the budget. It also said no money would be issued to meet the investment needs. The meeting further considered the draft budget and balance of payments parameters. It reportedly identified a need for a financial stabilization and solution to the problems facing major state- run banks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ P R E S S R E V I E W (February 18) DR. ZHELEV DENIES INTERVIEW ASCRIBED TO HIM "Anatolian News Agency Invents Interview with President Zhelyu Zhelev", "24 Chassa" says in a front-page report today. "While Turkey's pro-government news agency attributes complimentary words for Ankara to Dr. Zhelev, the Greek press said Friday it relies on the Cabinet of Socialist Zhan Videnov for the creation of an Athens-Sofia military axis," the private "Continent" daily says in a front- page story. Most dailies quote Presidential Spokesman Valentin Stoyanov as saying the Bulgarian President has never told the Anatolian News Agency that Turkey is the only Balkan country with non-aggressive policy toward Bulgaria. "Dr. Zhelev has never given an interview to the Anatolian News Agency," Stoyanov says quoted by "24 Chassa". Most probably the President has answered questions to that effect during his traditional meeting with foreign journalists at the Indonesian restaurant in Sofia on February 10, "Continent" says. "I was not understood properly and my words were taken out of the context of the conversation," this daily quotes Dr. Zhelev himself as saying Friday. Having met the President on Friday, the leader of one of the parliamentary agrarian parties, Anastasia Moser, told journalists Dr. Zhelev has spoken in positive terms about all neighboring countries and the Turkish news agency quoted only those referring to Ankara, "24 Chassa" writes. The emergence of the Turkish press allegations on the day of the Clinton-Zhelev meeting met Athens open suspicion, "Continent" writes. It goes on to quote the Vima Greek newspaper as saying the Athens government has in the meantime taken a course toward creating a military axis with Sofia that would hopefully be done with the cooperation of Prime Minister Zhan Videnov and Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski during next week's visit to Bulgaria by Greek Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. However, Bulgaria's non-participation in any military or political axis whatsoever is the only thing on which President Zhelev and the new Socialists-led cabinet agree, says "Continent". A signed commentary in this daily says it is a pity that Turkey and Greece seek to score points in their verbal duel by abusing Bulgaria's most positive attitude to both of them. "This, would never have happened had they not seen the crack in Bulgaria's foreign policy, dividing president and government," the author goes on to say. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TURKISH FROGMEN SPYING ON BULGARIA The Bulgarian military counterintelligence intercepted Turkish spies, reads a front-page story in "Standart News". According to this report, Turkish frogmen were spotted spying Bulgarian naval installations at Atia and Sozopol, on the Southern Black Sea. The operation was being covered up by joint-ventures carrying on illegal clams business, "Standart News" further writes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE BALKAN FEDERATION ILLUSION "24 Chassa" carries a four-page story on the "Balkan Federation illusion". This daily further carries the views of three Balkan presidents on the idea for a Balkan federation. Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev: "This is a Comintern- style idea". Greek President Konstantinos Karamanlis: "Dangerous for the peace in the Balkans". Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov": "This is not the best time for regional formations". Under the headline "Balkan Enigmas" the financial "Pari" daily runs a page with commentaries on Balkan issues. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER INTERVIEWED "No Deals or Secret Agreements Are Made At Expense of Macedonia" caps a page-long interview with Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic in "Standart News". Granic tells the interviewer his country is expecting visits by top Bulgarian officials who have been invited, including President Zhelev, Prime Minister Zhan Videnov and Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski. He goes on to say 14 bilateral accords have already been drafted and are now to be signed. A front-page story in "Demokratsiya" says Dr. Zhelev would return a law against restitution. This daily says President Zhelev on Monday would return a law Parliament passed on February 9, giving leaseholders of housing subject to restitution, the right to remain there for another three years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Former chief of Defense Ministry Logistics and Trade Department Valentin Popinski is suspected of spying for Serbia, "24 Chassa" says. If it turns out mortars sold by Bulgarians to Tirana have gone to Bosnia, then Popinski have acted as Belgrade's agent, this daily says. An investigation is under way into the failure of the 1993 Bulgarian-Albania arms deal. Col. Valentin Popinski (Ret.), who was dismissed by former defense minister Valentin Alexandra from his position as chief of the Procurement and Trade Agency of the Ministry of Defense, will be tried for high treason and espionage, the papers write, quoting a press release from the Armed Forces Prosecutor's Office. Mr. Popinski was in charge of a 1993 arms deal from which Bulgaria lost 670,000 US dollars because of the non-delivery of 670,000 mortars and other weapons to Albania, "Continent" recalls. Major General Agim Baryti, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Albanian Army, said during a visit to Sofia three days ago that the Albanian Defense Ministry has nothing to do with this affair, writes "Troud." The investigation of the case is veiled in secrecy, says "24 Chassa." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Michalis Ritsos, a Greek drugs baron on the Interpol wanted list who was running one of the Balkan narcotics routes from Sandanski (Southwestern Bulgaria), has disappeared from the town, writes "Troud." Sandanski is obviously emerging as a transit point on the route of heroin trafficking from Asia via Bulgaria to Western Europe, the daily comments. In 1995, narcotics were seized from nine Bulgarians abroad. Some 50 foreign drug traffickers were convicted in Bulgaria in 1994, writes "Continent." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A working team of the Ministry of Defense, drafting a defense and armed forces bill (the previous National Assembly only voted part of an earlier version of the legislation) has now formulated its proposals and, after discussion at the Supreme Military Council, it will soon go before the Council of Ministers, the newspapers write. The 1995 defense budget will not exceed 22,000 - 25,000 million leva (1 US dollar currently exchanges for 66.385 leva along the official rate); adjusted for inflation, this is even less than last year's 13,000 million leva, unnamed Defense Ministry financiers complained, quoted by "Standart News." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The unregistered separatist Ilinden United Macedonian Organization started the illegal circulation in the Pirin area (Southwestern Bulgaria) yesterday of a glossy map of "integral Macedonia," published in an unidentified foreign country, the local "Continent" correspondent reports. The local correspondent of "Troud" writes that the publication was prepared by Todor Simovski, printer at the printing establishment of the Skopje-based "Nova Makedonija" newspaper. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ P R E S S R E V I E W (February 19) BULGARIA-REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA: TREATIES "Treaties with Macedonia in English?" caps a front- page story in today's "24 Chassa". This daily quotes the Macedonian "Nova Makedonija" newspaper as saying Bulgarian National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov and Macedonian Ambassador to Bulgaria Georgi Spasov have agreed at a meeting in Sofia that Sofia and Skopje have their bilateral accords written in English. This Macedonian newspaper quoted the Balkan Information Pool. "A number of interstate and government documents last year remained without signatures because of Skopje's demand that they be drawn up in Bulgarian and "Macedonian". Sofia then offered the wording "in the official languages of the two countries", but Skopje disagreed," "24 Chassa" recalls. Bulgaria does not recognize the Macedonian language, which Bulgarian experts say is only a Bulgarian dialect. "I know nothing about a meeting between Sendov and the Macedonian Ambassador," the head of the parliamentary chairman's office, Lyuben Koulishev, told "24 Chassa". He, however, said it is not impossible that the two have met. "24 Chassa" goes on to quote "Nova Makedonija" as saying Blagovest Sendov has promised to discuss with Bulgarian church leaders the possibilities for having an autocephalous Macedonian Orthodox Church. However, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, just like those in Athens and Belgrade, are against the independence of the Macedonian church, "24 Chassa" further says. "Sendov's English: Gaffe or Brilliant Stratagem" headlines an editorial on the alleged meeting between the chairman of the Bulgarian Parliament and the Macedonian Ambassador. The commentary says that Sendov would either be the hero who have opened the floodgates of cooperation with a neighboring country, or the dupe who believes there are only linguistic stumbling block preventing Sofia and Skopje from signing official accords. However noble Sendov's intentions, his job is the ring the bell in Parliament, and not arrange interstate accords, the comment further reads. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIA - U.S.: ARMS Sunday's papers quote US Defense Secretary William Perry as saying the US are planning to sell state-of-the-art arms to 10 East European countries, including Bulgaria. "Clinton's men know perfectly well that we have no money for fuel, let alone aircraft. It is high time that Washington said clearly whom and when it is admitting to NATO, instead of fooling us with playthings. This will at least help us decide what arms to buy," this daily goes on to say. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The murderous water crisis in Sofia has been designed five years ago, says the private "Nedelen Novinar" weekly. Sofia has been subject to a draconian water rationing scheme for a third month now because of a dramatic drop of the water in its main reservoir, the Iskur dam lake. This story says the water crisis "was meticulously pre-designed by economic and mafia structures related to the high echelons of the Bulgarian communist party and the new Socialists, who took power in late 1994". It goes on to say the water shortage was meant to justify the evacuation of Sofianites from some of Sofia's neighborhoods, overcrowded by the communist rulers in an adventurous undertaking. With their lifetime already running out, the prefabricated blocks in these neighborhoods will fall apart in about ten years' time, says "Nedelen Novinar". ==============================================================================