Subject: Ta nea toy BTA 02-Mar-95[**] Ta nea apo thn Presbeia ths Boylgarias sthn Washington, D.C. . Oikonomologoi lene oti h Sosialistikh kybernhsh toy Z. Videnov isws meiwsei ton plhuorismo. ** Epistrofh ths apostolhs stratiwtikwn apo thn Ellada. . O antiproedros ths kybernhshs ths Boylgarias brisketai sthn Germania gia synomilies epi dimerwn uematwn. . Synomilies metajy Boylgarwn kai Dytikoeyrwpaiwn pane se uemata oikonomias kai emporioy. * Apofash ths kybernhshs na kanei aithsh gia entajh sthn WTO. . To koinoboylio epikyrwse dieunhs symfwnies. * Apostolh boyleytwn apo thn Soyhdia se epishmh episkech sthn Boylgaria. ** Symfwna me ton Oruodojo ierea B. Saruev yparxei sxedio idrushs Moysoylmanikoy eunoys sthn Boylgaria [eidika stis perioxes toy oroys Rodoph]. . Syntomh dhlwsh toy antiproedroy ths kybernhshs ths Serbias. Giwrgos Kapodistrias ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: bulgaria@access.digex.net (Embassy of Bulgaria) Subject: BTA inf/ Mar 2, 95 Date: 2 Mar 1995 13:36:52 -0500 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA - WASHINGTON D.C. BTA - BULGARIAN TELEGRAPH AGENCY BULLETIN OF NEWS FROM BULGARIA MARCH 2, 1995 VIDENOV'S CABINET MIGHT REDUCE INFLATION, ECONOMISTS SAY Sofia, March 1 - A team of the Institute of Economics with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences projects a 4 to 5 per cent growth of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the year 2000. At a news conference on "Inflationary Factors in Bulgarian Economy and Ways to Curb Inflation" today, experts of the team led by Prof. Garabed Minasyan, publicized the findings of their comprehensive study of the processes underway in the Bulgarian economy. The budget deficit is not the only cause for Bulgaria's high inflation rate, Prof. Minasyan said. According to the findings of the study, about 40 per cent of the price rise cannot be attributed to the classical inflationary factors: budget deficit, cash turnover, the lev/dollar exchange rate and unemployment. According to the authors of the study, the high inflation rate is mainly due to funds squandering that is most easily observable in the state industry. This, in turn, creates elements of hidden budget deficit. Zhan Videnov's cabinet will manage to take control of and reduce the annual inflation rate to 50-55 per cent only by establishing order in the state industry and curbing the growth of the shadow economy, Prof. Minasyan said. The economic experts also recommend that stiff financial regulations be introduced in foreign trade and customs services. The foreign economic environment in 1995 will be favorable for the Bulgarian economy, the study projects. This is bore out by Bulgaria's boosting trade with other Balkan countries, which account for a quarter of the this country's total commercial exchange. According to Prof. Minasyan, the possibility for restoring Bulgaria's trade contacts with rump Yugoslavia once the U.N. sanctions are lifted, is being overlooked. The Balkan and the East European economies are expecting growth which will inevitably push up the demand on international markets and stimulate the Bulgarian economy, Prof. Minasyan said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIAN MILITARY DELEGATION RETURNS FROM GREECE Sofia, March 1 - A Bulgarian military delegation, led by Colonel General Tsvetan Totomirov, Chief of the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army, returned from a three-day official visit to Greece. General Totomirov and the Chief of the General Staff of the Greek National Defence, Vice Admiral Christos Limberis, signed a programme for cooperation in the military sphere between the defence ministries and the general staffs of the two countries for 1995. The programme provides for an exchange of visits by senior military and commanders of units, personnel training, joint participation in exercises, etc. The programme provides for the participation of a Bulgarian company in exercises on Greek territory within the framework of the Partnership for Peace initiative and for Greek warships and aircraft to take part in the Breeze'95 exercises in Bulgarian territorial waters. The two general staff chiefs agreed to get in contact over the telephone in emergencies, especially in cases of violations of the common air borders by aircraft during training flights. They exchange information on the situation in the Balkans. The Bulgarian Chief of General Staff was received by Greek National Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis and visited the command of the armed services, of the First Greek Army and of the tactical aviation in Larisa. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIA, GERMANY: DEPUTY PM TSOCHEV'S MEETINGS Berlin, March 1 - Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Cooperation Kiril Tsochev met with Federal Minister of Economics Guenter Rexrodt in Leipzig today. Tsochev is on a working visit to Germany for the German-Bulgarian events in Braunschweig and Leipzig. Tsochev thanked Germany for supporting the entry into force of Bulgaria's Europe Agreement, effective as of February 1. Rexrodt stressed that Germany is ready to continue acting in support of Bulgaria's integration into the European structures. It was agreed that a meeting of the Bulgarian-German Council for Economic Cooperation would be held in Germany by late May. Later today Deputy Prime Minister Tsochev held talks with Kurt Biedenkopf, Minister-President of Saxony. He said Saxony is interested in developing cooperation with Bulgaria in all sectors, stressing that Bulgarian agricultural products would sell well there. Bulgarian students can study management in Saxony, Biedenkopf said. He promised to intercede with Federal Minister of the Interior Manfred Kanther for the easing and lifting of entry visa requirements for Bulgarians. Tsochev invited the Minister-President of Saxony to visit Bulgaria. The likeliest time of the visit is mid- October. Yesterday Tsochev attended the opening of German- Bulgarian Days of Economics in Braunschweig. More than 60 Bulgarian companies and nearly 80 German companies are taking part in them. He also attended the opening of Days of Bulgarian politics, economics and culture in Leipzig, ending on March 3. Tsochev attended the opening of the international Leipzig Fair today. Then he left for Munich to hold business meetings with leading politicians and business representatives of Bavaria. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIAN, WEST EUROPEAN OFFICIALS MEET Sofia, March 1 - Two-day trade and economic talks opened here today, between Bulgarian managers, representatives of financial institutions and cabinet officials and a 25-member delegation of the Donau Europaisches Institut (DEI) comprising 25 executives of large Austrian and West European companies and banks. The discussions will cover the textile, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, foods and farm products, consultancy services, the upgrading and construction of roads and railways as well as proposals for the setting up of joint ventures, cooperation and investment in these spheres. At the first plenary session today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Roumen Gechev outlined the economic priorities of the Bulgarian cabinet. Answering a "Daily News" reporter, Gechev said that the operative regulations of debt for equity swaps (the use of foreign debt bonds as means of payment in privatization deals, 50% of the payments being in cash and 50% in foreign debt bonds) are the most liberal ones. The fifty-fifty correlation between cash payments and payments in foreign debt bonds is the best possible correlation both in respect to national economic interests and in respect to the interests of foreign investors in this country, Gechev said. Gechev added that West European bankers assess the situation in Bulgaria as very favorable from the point of view of debt for equity swaps. The two-day talks will also discuss concrete proposals for trade deals and cooperation in investment, banking and the privatization of Bulgarian enterprises. The West European economic delegation is expected to meet with senior cabinet officials to discuss the progress of the economic reform in Bulgaria and to identify the priority spheres for development with the participation of West European companies. The event is organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the DEI, also known as Organization for International Economic Relations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BULGARIA TO TAKE OFFICIAL STEPS FOR JOINING W.T.O. Sofia, March 1 - In late February the Bulgarian cabinet decided to file an official request for launching the process of Bulgaria's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). This emerged in a statement Dencho Georgiev, special cabinet representative at the multilateral trade talks and head of the Bulgarian delegation to the negotiations on joining the WTO, made at a regular briefing at the Foreign Ministry. Apart from the introduction of foreign trade regulations and economic laws in line with the requirements of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the process for joining GATT also included bilateral customs negotiations, recalled Georgiev. He also said countries with which Bulgaria has already held such negotiations said it has made a tangible progress in this respect. Bulgaria is now ready to start preliminary negotiations on trade in services, this cabinet official said. As part of the process for joining the WTO, the working group Georgiev heads will start reviewing Bulgaria's foreign trade regime with a view to bringing it in line with the GATT requirements and the whole package of agreements developed at the Uruguay Round. Asked to comment on the possible amendments of Bulgaria's foreign trade regulations, Georgiev said all changes would seek to meet the GATT and WTO requirements and stand by the commitments this country has taken. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Todor Chourov said that, "Bulgaria's accession with GATT involves elements of liberalization set forth in the agreement on this country's association with the European Union, which gives additional aspects to this complex problem". At a meeting with Sir Leon Brittan in Brussels in late February, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski asked the European Commission for assistance in the process of joining GATT. There was a positive answer to the request, said Chourov. The Foreign Ministry Spokesman also said that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade Kiril Tsochev is expected to meet Sir Brittan to consider the above issues in details. The Foreign Ministry records say Bulgaria was admitted as observer to GATT in 1967. In September 1986 the then Bulgarian cabinet filed a request for joining the Agreement and two months later the GATT Council set up a working group on Bulgaria's request. After that the negotiations were suspended. A memorandum on Bulgaria's foreign trade regime was filed at the GATT Secretariat in 1988. In 1990 the GATT Council set up a new working group that held five sittings and adopted a large portion of its report and the protocol on Bulgaria's accession to GATT. Negotiations on tariff concessions were held with the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Turkey, on trade in services with the US, Japan and Australia, and with the US on commercial aspects of intellectual property. In late January 1995 Bulgaria was granted the status of observer at the WTO bodies. On January 30 - February 8 in Geneva, this country held bilateral talks on market access with the US, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the Czech Republic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PARLIAMENT RATIFIES INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS Sofia, March 1 - Parliament today passed laws to ratify seven bilateral agreements on rescheduling this country's debts to Canada, Austria, Finland, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Japan. The agreements were signed under an April 13, 1994, protocol on consolidation of Bulgaria's debt to the Paris Club. The entry into force of the agreements would reduce the burden of this country's foreign debt over the next seven years. It will also increase the confidence in Bulgaria as a borrower and allow for funneling funds to boost the economic growth, said the chairman of the parliamentary economic committee, Atanas Paparizov. Bulgaria's debt due in 1995 totals 500 million US dollars, said Deputy Finance Minister Svetoslav Gavriiski. Of it 142 million have already been settled, mostly to the London Club of commercial creditor banks, which was the first payment on Bulgaria's foreign debt. More payments are to be made to the Paris Club, Japan and Germany that have extended bonded loans to this country. The first settlement under the accords with the Paris Club is due on March 31, when Bulgaria will pay 65 million dollars. Parliament also passed at first reading bills on the ratification of a framework agreement on financial cooperation and a financial agreement in air traffic management for 30 million ECU between Bulgaria and the European Investment Bank. The second reading debates were postponed until the parliamentary legislative committee comes out with a stand on the bills. The MPs ratified an intergovernmental agreement between Bulgaria and Slovakia on promotion and protection of investments signed on July 21 in Bratislava. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SWEDISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN BULGARIA Sofia, March 1 - A Swedish parliamentary delegation led by Riksdag President Brigitta Dahl, arrived on a three- day visit to Bulgaria. The delegation met National Assembly Chairman Blagovest Sendov. The talks focused on the structure of the two countries parliaments and their rules of procedure. Academician Sendov thanked the guests for their country's assistance in the process of Bulgaria's integration into the European structures. Ms Dahl, for her part, congratulated the Bulgarian MPs for Bulgaria's admission in a number of international organizations. The Swedish delegation also met the leaders of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Left. They showed particular interest in the structural adjustment of this country's economy and the process of privatization. The sides considered Sweden's experience in handling environmental problems and discussed possibilities for launching joint environmental initiatives. Later today the Swedish guests were received by Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski. At the meeting, Pirinski reportedly raised the issue of the free movement of Bulgarian citizens in Western Europe. The Council of Scandinavian countries recently decided to set up a special group to work out a variant for lifting the restrictions for travel of citizens of East European countries in Western Europe, Foreign Minister Pirinski told a BTA correspondent. Ms Dahl herself will be member of the working group. Bulgaria's integration into the European structures and EU's full membership requirements were also on the agenda. Pirinski briefed the Swedish MPs on the implementation of Bulgaria's association agreement with the EU, the unification of this country's legislation with that in united Europe and the improvement of Bulgarian institutions. The Swedish MPs also met Prime Minister Zhan Videnov. They reportedly said the Swedish investors' interest in Bulgaria is mostly in the sphere of telecommunications. The meeting also considered possibilities for attracting Swedish investments in Bulgaria's infrastructure. The delegation was particularly interested in the cabinet's plans in the social sphere. The Bulgarian Prime Minister told his guests the stability of democratic processes here offers a chance for solving the social and economic problems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FATHER BOYAN SARUEV: THERE IS A SCHEME TO SET UP A MUSLIM NATION Sofia, March 1 - There is a scheme to set up a Muslim nation in Bulgaria, Orthodox priest Father Boyan Saruev, claims. According to him, this is planned to be achieved by setting apart the Muslims in Bulgaria as an ethos, like in Bosnia. "Yes, but the Bulgarian Muslims are of a strong Bulgarian national awareness even when zealously professing the Muslim religion, which in itself is nothing wrong, is it?", the Father argued. Father Saruev was in Sofia and gave an interview for "Daily News". He spends most of his time in the Rhodope Mountains (Southern Bulgaria, at the border with Turkey and Greece) where he is converting Bulgarian Muslims into the Christian Orthodox religion. Today's issue of the Socialist "Douma" wrote that on Annunciation Day Father Saruev will baptize several more Rhodope villages inhabited by Bulgarian Muslims. These people in the Rhodope Mountains are the product of Bulgarian culture, of Bulgarian civilization, they are the product of Orthodox Bulgaria, Father Saruev said. He criticized strongly the film "Burn, Burn Little Flame" about life in a Rhodope village, recently shown on national TV. According to him it fulfilled a foreign commission for setting apart the Muslims in the Rhodope Mountains as a separate ethos, as a population of a foreign culture and self- awareness. "In the final account all this is to lead to the denationalization of the Bulgarians in the Rhodopes, to their stripping of their Bulgarian identity, said the Orthodox priest, whom many compare to an apostle. Father Saruev (39) was born in a Rhodope village to a family of Muslims. He graduated from the school of the Ministry of the Interior and reached the rank of a lieutenant in the local police in Kurdjali (a central town in the Rhodopes). In 1986 he adopted Christianity and changed the uniform for a cassock. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989 he started converting Bulgarian Muslims to Christianity and even set up a foundation to this end. "I do not like speaking about how many people I have converted to Christianity," Father Saruev said in an interview some time ago. "This should be a tendency, a movement of the spirit. Otherwise it sounds formal and bureaucratic. How many? Hundreds, maybe thousands...", said the priest whose popularity made major political forces offer him to run as their candidate in parliamentary elections, he claims. "I am an adamant Russophile," Father Saruev admitted. According to him, the "certain forces" interested in the forming of a Muslim nation in the Rhodope Mountains are the Americans. "We know of the unreserved love between America and Turkey," the priest said. "We should by all means take into account the fact that Russia is a strong Orthodox state and that because of its influence and presence in the world every association with it would be beneficial and healthy for Christianity and its Orthodox form," Father Saruev said. Asked whether the critical attitude of representatives of the Socialist Party to the film "Burn, Burn, Little Flame", which coincides with his own, would not make him seek support for his cause among the Socialists, most of whom are atheists, Father Saruev tactfully answered that we should all be Bulgarians after all. "If not believing Christians then at least good Christians", the priest said. But he hastened to deny any points of contact between the Orthodox religion and communism. "The communists abused the idea of social justice because they did not believe in God," Father Saruev explained. "I am counting on all political parties, with no conditions and no commitments because religion should stand tall above all petty and partisan interests," Father Saruev said when asked for a second time by "Daily News" whether he is counting on the Socialist Party for assistance in his apostolic work in the Rhodope Mountains. The priest also spoke of his followers - ten Muslim Bulgarian youths who enrolled at the Ecclesiastical Seminary in Sofia on scholarships of Father Saruev's Foundation. He said he wished his followers to take up their missions as soon as possible and therefore preferred short forms of training for the future priests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BUSINESS PRESS "We will work with any Bulgarian government," Serbia's Deputy Prime Minister Svetozar Krustic says in an interview for "24 Chassa". He expresses his regret that the economic relations between Serbia and Bulgaria are only on a protocol level. ==============================================================================