Subject: Ta nea toy BTA 23-Feb-95[**] Ta nea apo thn Presbeia ths Boylgarias sthn Washington, D.C. . O Proedros ths Boylgarias anesteille thn tropopoihsh gia thn epistrofh idiokthsias. ** Elhje h episkech toy YpAm G. Arsenh sthn Boylgaria. Dhlwseis toy Ellhna Ypoyrgoy. ** O Antiproedros ths Kybernhshs eixe synanthsh me thn Ellhnida oikonomologo L. Katselh [symboylos toy Prouyp. se oikonomika uemata]. . H Boylh epikyrwse dieuneis synuhkes. . O Antiproedros ths Kybernhshs eixe synomilies me ton Presbh ths Kroatias gia dimerh uemata. . Symfwna me hmerhsia efhmerida o Antiproedros thys Kybernhshs se epistolh toy sto DNT dhlwse oti "einai adynato na diplasiasth h timh toy hlektrikoy". * H EE hrese thn apagoreysh ejagwghs kreatos poy eixe paraxuei sth Notia Boylgaria. Giwrgos Kapodistrias ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: bulgaria@access.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria) Subject: BTA inf/ Feb. 23, 95 Date: 23 Feb 1995 11:58:33 -0500 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C. BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY BULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIA FEBRUARY 23, 1995 PRESIDENT SUSPENDS RESTITUTION ACT AMENDMENT President Zhelyu Zhelev suspended the Act to Amend the Act Restoring Ownership in Nationalized Immovable Property, popularly known as the Restitution Act. The Amendment Act, passed on February 9, 1995, extends the term for restoring the ownership of property nationalized after World War II by three years. That means that occupants of buildings subject to restitution, as well as kindergartens, schools, health-care and cultural institutions housed in such buildings can stay on there for another three years. Motivating his suspensory veto, the President specified that the Amendment Act violates the rights of the owners of nationalized immovable property and that the Act was voted in breach of the parliamentary rules of procedure. In the reasoning statement circulated by his Press Office, the President says that the Amendment Act can only postpone, but cannot solve the existing problems. In the President's view, it is necessary to protect the rights of immovable property owners. He says that the state authorities have done nothing to provide alternative accommodation for the people who are to be evicted from the dwellings subject to restitution. Dr. Zhelev expresses his doubts that the problem will be resolved before the expiration of the new three-year term if it is handled in the same way. Further on the President specifies the procedural breaches: first, the MPs debated and voted the Amendment Act at first and second reading on one and the same day; second, it was passed at an extraordinary sitting, convened in violation of the parliamentary Rules of Procedure. In Dr. Zhelev's opinion, all this is ground to believe that the MPs were denied access to the relevant information and that no conditions were created to discuss the amendments in detail and find an adequate solution to the problem. The presidential decree suspending the Restitution Act Amendment was in the focus of attention at the meeting which Dr. Zhelev had with the leadership of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) today. The meeting had been requested by the BSP MPs who wanted to be briefed on Dr. Zhelev's official visit to the United States last week. However, the veto decree superseded this subject. Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, who attended the meeting in his capacity as BSP leader, declined to comment on the matter. The Socialists, who proposed the amendments to the Restitution Act, reacted strongly to the suspension, BSP floor leader Krassimir Premyanov said after the meeting. This is the first open clash between the President and the ruling BSP. "We have not been guided by any partisan bias in initiating the amendments," Mr. Premyanov said. He said that the BSP had not leveled any accusations against the President and stressed that the BSP was the constructive party in the dispute. The Socialists intend to introduce a motion to override the presidential veto today or tomorrow at the latest. According to Mr. Premyanov, there is every reason to believe that the law will enter into force before the end of the week. The BSP floor leader rules out the possibility of the act, when re-voted in by the Socialist majority, might be referred to the Constitutional Court for a check of its constitutionality. Later in the day, the National Assembly Committee on Human Rights and Religious Faiths decided to move the Amendment Act to a second vote unrevised. In a statement for the national media, Presidential Spokesman Valentin Stoyanov emphasized that the amendments to the Act do not commit the central or local government to take any action to solve the housing problems of the thousands of Bulgarians who risk remaining homeless, or to address the problem of the immovable properties which now house crhches and kindergartens, schools and health-care establishments, or have been declared monuments of culture. In an express declaration, the parliamentary group of the BSP-led coalition took exception to the President's suspensory veto of even the first act passed by the incumbent Parliament and to the tendency of confrontation between President and Parliament. The Socialist MPs realize that the amendment to the Act does not solve the problems caused by the restitution but, on the other hand, the lack of such an amendment would be fatal for the victims. The Democratic Left has drafted and will shortly introduce a new bill to amend the Restitution Act, so as to solve the problem in a comprehensive and fair way, the declaration says. It emphasizes that none of the governments and municipalities dominated by SDS mayors so far have done their duty to provide housing stock for the victims and to guarantee the rights of the owners of restituted property. The Socialist MPs will insist that the vetoed act be included as item one on the agenda of tomorrow's plenary sitting and call on all parliamentary parties to support their motion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GREEK DEFENSE DELEGATION ENDS VISIT "A normalization of the situation in the Balkans requires a number of prerequisites and the first of it is that problems should be settled through political negotiations. The Balkan questions should be solved by the Balkan countries and peoples. In the past, the game at securing spheres of influence has led to unfortunate results worldwide - just remember how the world wars have started," Greece's National Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis told a news conference here today before he left the country. He arrived in Sofia yesterday on an official visit at the head of a Greek military delegation. Military relations between Bulgaria and Greece following the fall of Bulgaria's totalitarian regime in 1989 were regulated by an agreement on cooperation between the two countries' ministries of defense, signed in Athens in 1991. Greece was the first NATO member to sign a military cooperation agreement with Bulgaria. Since then, joint activities in the military field have been following annual plans for cooperation. "The Balkans will be a zone of cooperation when the international borders in the region become sacred and inviolable," Mr. Arsenis emphasized. The region must emerge from the economic crisis and the development of the democratic structure needs an impetus, he pointed out. The Greek Minister said there is political will and fine prospects specifically for closer economic cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria, but its areas have yet to be specified. The Greek Economic Minister will also visit Sofia soon, Mr. Arsenis said. "The matter is in the hands of the technocrats," he noted. Mr. Arsenis and Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimiter Pavlov assessed in positive terms the talks which the Greek military delegation held yesterday with President Zhelyu Zhelev, Prime Minister Zhan Videnov and Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski. Mr. Arsenis emphasized that bilateral cooperation and especially military cooperation contribute to the security not only of Bulgaria and Greece but of the region at large. At Sofia's Central Military Club this morning, the Greek National Defense Minister delivered a lecture on "European Integration: Challenges and Prospects." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation Minister Kiril Tsochev today received Mrs. Louka Katseli, Professor of Macroeconomics at Athens University and Special Economic Advisor top the Prime Minister of Greece. Prof. Katseli was accompanying her husband, National Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis, on his visit to Bulgaria, the Government Press Office said. Mrs. Katseli emphasized that Greece, being a full member of the European Union, is coordinator for Bulgaria on the utilization of funds and technical assistance under the INTERREG and PHARE programs. Greece can also help Bulgaria restructure its industry, operate its free trade zones and widen its trade relations with the EU. Greece can guarantee Bulgarian exports and assist in the attraction of foreign investment to this country. The sides considered opportunities for coordinating the work of the two governments on infrastructure projects. Bilateral trade in 1994 was 530 million US dollars, with Bulgarian exports to Greece valued at 300 million dollars and Greek supplies to Bulgaria worth 230 million dollars. Later in the day Mrs. Katseli was also received by Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development Minister Roumen Gechev. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PARLIAMENT RATIFIES INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS The National Assembly passed today at first and second reading legislation ratifying the protocol for consolidating Bulgaria's debt to the Paris club of creditors, signed on April 13, 1994 in Paris. The protocol settles some 200 million US dollars of Bulgaria's obligations and is used as a foundation for signing bilateral agreements with the governments of the lending states. The loan has been rescheduled over 11 years with 7 years of grace period, which, according to the parliamentary budgetary and economic committee is significant for the country's economy. The Parliament ratified the agreement between Bulgaria and Italy for rescheduling Bulgaria's foreign debt to Italy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development Minister Roumen Gechev today received the Ambassador of Croatia in Sofia Mr. Darinko Bago, the Government Press Office said. The sides emphasized that bilateral trade and economic relations are way below the two countries' potential. In 1994, two-way trade was valued at 15,600,000 US dollars. The signing of intergovernmental agreements on the avoidance of double taxation and on reciprocal investment promotion and protection is forthcoming, according to the press release. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BUSINESS PRESS In a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation Kiril Tsochev says the requirement for doubling electricity prices in Bulgaria is unfeasible, "Douma" writes. According to Russel Kincaid, head the IMF mission to Bulgaria, and IMF Resident Representative here Gregory Dahl, the 47 per cent rise of electricity prices is insufficient. "Douma" quotes Minister Tsochev as saying there might be another rise in electricity prices, but it will not exceed 9-12 per cent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The European Union lifted a ban on the export of meat produced in Southern Bulgaria, "24 Chassa" says quoting the head of the National Veterinary Service, Ivan Kaloyanov. The embargo was introduced in mid-1993 because of a foot-and-mouth disease cases in Simeonovgrad, this daily recalls. The report goes on to say Bulgaria's losses from the ban totaled over 2,000 million leva.