NEWS FROM BULGARIA
Relations between Bulgaria and Serbia Have Never Been Better - Serbian President Boris Tadic
Belgrade, April 25 - Relations between Serbia and Bulgaria have never been better than they are now, Serbian President Boris Tadic told a news conference after meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Purvanov Tuesday. Tadic and Purvanov discussed bilateral relations and dwelt on the usual issues for Serbia, more precisely cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the referendum in Montenegro and the future status of Kosovo. "We fully agree that the attitude to the Bulgarian national minority should be determined at the highest level. That is why tomorrow we shall travel to Dimitrovgrad with President Georgi Purvanov, meet the population there and come out with joint statements," the Serbian President said. "Balkan countries should not only use the security structures, they should also export security. The territory of the Balkans must be safe," he said.
President Purvanov stressed the efficient interaction between the two countries in overcoming the consequences of the floodings. Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania and Croatia will hold a summit meeting in the Albanian town of Durres in the following days. "This meeting should show our European friends that there is cooperation here, in the Balkans, and that they should stake on our experts when it comes to the settlement of specific Balkan problems," Purvanov said. It is not necessary to have nice declarations but investments because problems can be settled only through investments, the Bulgarian Head of State stressed. Purvanov praised the state policy and the personal attitude of President Tadic in regards to the Bulgarian ethnic minority, from the issue of Bulgarian language learning to the investments in business with view of enhancing the living standards of this population.
President Purvanov, Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic TalkBelgrade, April 25- Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov and Serbia and Montenegro President Svetozar Marovic talked in Belgrade on Tuesday about the development of bilateral economic relations, with an accent on ways to step up the construction of the Nis-Sofia highway, Purvanov said. He said the joint commission on the matter was working very well and a successful solution was expected to be found after some obstacles were removed. The two also discussed the electrification of the railway linking the two countries, Purvanov said. Some technicalities relating to the opening of border checkpoints at Salash-Novo Korito and Bankya-Petacinci are expected to be sorted out during the two-day visit, which started on Tuesday. The opening of the two checkpoints will send a signal that the two countries are developing new, European-style relations, Purvanov said. Bulgaria views the Bulgarian national minority as a bridge in bilateral relations; it is important that a policy designed to develop its identity be pursued, Purvanov said. In this context, it is important to settle the matter of the five hours of teaching in Bulgarian. He expressed satisfaction that the issue of Bulgarian textbooks for the first form has been solved.
It is particularly important to encourage businesses which want to invest in the regions inhabited by the Bulgarian national minority, Purvanov said. He stressed that its living standards were three or four times lower than elsewhere in the country. Bulgaria supports Serbia and Montenegro's integration in the Euro-Atlantic structures, its future membership in the EU and NATO's Partnership for Peace, Purvanov also said, expressing hope that all obstacles to this membership would be quickly removed. Purvanov learned about the important matters awaiting solution in Serbia and Montenegro this year. As to Montenegro's independence referendum scheduled for May 21, Purvanov said that Bulgaria would accept any outcome, emphasizing that the two countries' friendly relations were without an alternative, regardless of that outcome. As to Kosovo, Bulgaria believes it is important to develop an intensive process of negotiations, taking into account the views of Pristina and Belgrade. A lasting solution should be found, consistent with the European rules and standards, respecting human rights and preserving the cultural heritage. Bulgaria will contribute as best it can to finding the best climate for these negotiations, Purvanov said.
At a meeting with Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic the Bulgarian Head of State was briefed on the upcoming referendum in the republic. On May 21 the citizens of Montenegro are expected to pronounce themselves on whether their country should secede from the State Union with Serbia. At the meeting the sides established that bilateral economic relations lag behind the political ones. Commodity exchange is at a very low level, President Purvanov said. The number of exchanged tourists is on the increase but there are untapped possibilities in this field as well, he added. The interlocutors also discussed the readiness of separate ministries for cooperation, particularly in the agrarian sector and in wine production. Vujanovic assessed in highly positive terms Purvanov's initiative for the establishment of cultural corridors as a form of cultural cooperation among the Balkan countries.
President Purvanov also conferred with Serb Prime Minister Vojslav Kostunica. Enhancement of economic relations topped the agenda of the discussions. Purvanov thanked for the adequate interaction during the crisis with the increased level of the Danube River. President Georgi Purvanov arrived on a two-day official visit to Serbia and Montenegro on Tuesday, his Press Secretariat said.
The President is accompanied by First Lady Zorka Purvanova. Agreements on the opening of new border-crossing checkpoints at Salash-Novo Korito and Bankya-Petacinci are expected to be signed in the presence of Presidents Purvanov and Marovic. The Bulgarian head of state will visit the Ivanovo Village, Pancevo Municipality, where he will inaugurate the office of the National Council of the Bulgarian National Minority.
On the second day of his visit, Purvanov will be in Nis and Dimitrovgrad. In Nis, he will confer with the city mayor and will visit the Bratstvo Publishing House of the Bulgarian national minority in Serbia. The President will pay floral tribute at the Ledena Stena Memorial, where 2,015 Bulgarian soldiers and officers, killed in the territory of Serbia and Macedonia during WW II, are buried.
In Dimitrovgrad, Purvanov, accompanied by Serbian President Boris Tadic, will meet the public and the city mayor and will later on visit the Tsaribrod Culture and Information Centre of the Bulgarian national minority. The head of state will pay floral tribute at the Neshkov Vruh Monument, marking the burial ground of Bulgarian and Serbian soldiers who fell in the fiercest battle of the 1885 Serbo-Bulgarian War. Foreign Ministry Delegation Joins Easter Celebrations in Bosilegrad, Serbia and
Montenegro Sofia, April 25 - A delegation of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry participated in the Easter festivities in Bosilegrad, Serbia and Montenegro, the Ministry's Directorate for Information, PR and European Communication said. The celebrations were organized by the Culture and Information Centre of the Bulgarian national minority in the town. The delegation was led by Hristo Georgiev, head of the Europe Directorate. The delegation talked with Bosilegrad Mayor Vladimir Zahariev about construction of a border checkpoint between Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, and Macedonia at the crossing point of the three countries' borders, as well as about opening the Oltomanci border checkpoint to TIR traffic. The delegation and the National Council of the Bulgarian Minority discussed aspects of the study of Bulgarian at the town's school in light of a recent decision by the Serbian Education Ministry. On behalf of the Ministries of Education and Science and of Foreign Affairs, Georgiev donated a computer configuration to the local secondary school in the presence of the town's Mayor Vladimir Zahariev and journalists. In the town of Surdulica, the Foreign Ministry representatives talked with Mayor Stanislav Momcilovic about placing a memorial plaque for the Bulgarian poet Alexander Voutimski, who died in the local sanatorium in 1943. The sides also considered having more Bulgarian-language programmes on Radio Surdulica.
Bulgarian Parliamentary Delegation to Visit Belgium April 26-27
Sofia, April 25- A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation, led by National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski, will pay an official visit to Belgium on April 26 and 27, the parliamentary press office said Tuesday. The visit is at the invitation of the Chamber of Representatives President Herman De Croo. The delegation will confer with Herman De Croo, the European Affairs Committee at the Chamber of Representatives, the chair of the Belgium-Bulgaria group. Other meetings on the agenda include the head of the Court of Arbitration, the First Vice President of the Senate Staf Nimmegeers, the President of the Walloon Regional Parliament Jose Happart, the President of the Parliament of the French Community Jean-Francois Istasse and the Speaker of the Flemish Parliament Norbert de Batselier.
LIBYA –BULGARIAN NURSES - RETRIAL
Libyan Electronic Newspaper Interviews Benghazi Association Chief, Covers Meeting on AIDS Case
Tripoli, April 25 - The Arabic-language electronic newspaper Libya Today reported that according to Idriss Lagha, President of the Association for the Families of the HIV-infected Children of Benghazi, the infected children's parents expected that a retrial of a case of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor would be held in Benghazi, and not in Tripoli, because, according to Lagha, this is what the law requires. This is Lagha's first interview since the Libyan authorities decided to move the venue of the retrial from Benghazi to Tripoli. The move is a welcome development for the defendants, because in Benghazi there is a strong public sentiment against them. It was an AIDS outbreak in Benghazi that caused their arrest in 1999 and led to the imposition of death sentences on them in 2004. The death sentences were later scrapped and a retrial was ordered. Lagha further told Libya Today that his Association is not opposed to enhancing security for the defendants, but noted that the move of the venue will increase the tension among the infected children's parents and cause them difficulties when travelling to attend the court hearings. Lagha reiterated his belief in the fairness and independence of the Libyan judicial system, and said that the children's families will accept any judgment which the court may pass. Taking a question on the progress of Libyan-Bulgarian negotiations, Lagha said: "The negotiations continue under the auspices of the Gaddafi Foundation. Significant progress has been made. The date of the next meeting is to be fixed in the following few days. We hope there will be even more positive developments at the next meeting, and we hope to be able to end the tragedy and the pain." A knowledgeable Libyan government source told Libya Today that a meeting on the AIDS case, the first of its kind since 1999, was held under the chairmanship of Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi Mahmudi. Neither the media nor the Libyan government website have unveiled any details about the meeting, Libya Today said. The meeting was also attended by Abdul Ati al-Abidi, chief for European affairs at the Libyan Foreign Ministry, by Libyan Ambassador to the UK Mohamed Azwai, by Salah Abdessalam, Executive Director of the Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations, by Libyan Justice Minister Ali al-Husnawi,
by Libyan Health Minister Muhammad Rashid, and by Dr Haris Belkasem, who chairs a health committee responsible for HIV-positive children. The meeting discussed matters concerning the treatment of HIV-positive children in hospitals in Italy and France. A decision was made to build a children's hospital in Benghazi. The Libyan Health Minister will be responsible for the implementation of the decisions made at the meeting.The meeting also decided that Libya will contribute 120 million Libyan dinars to the International Fund for Assistance to the Families of the HIV-Infected Children of Benghazi, and that the Libyan debt to Bulgaria, which amounts to 53 million US dollars, will be transferred to the Fund, Libya Today said. Approached by BTA for a comment, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Feim Chaoushev said various options are being considered to resolve the issue, and they are not focused solely on the debt, but are directed at the full range of bilateral relations in view of promoting Bulgaria's cooperation with Libya. Chaoushev said all parties to the International Fund are contributing to it financially and in other ways. "This, however, does not mean that Bulgaria is paying compensation to the families. The objective of Bulgaria's contribution is purely humanitarian: to mitigate the tragedy of the families of the HIV-infected children, to build a hospital in Benghazi and to assist the treatment of the sick children," Chaoushev said.
HOME POLICY NEWS
Economy and Energy Minister: Nothing Happened at Kozloduy on March 1-2
Sofia, April 25 - Nothing happened at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant on March 1-2, the Bulgarian public was informed about the incident at Unit Five, Economy and Energy Minister Roumen Ovcharov told journalists on Tuesday. He was asked to comment on German and Austrian press reports that the Bulgarian authorities had underrated an incident at the Kozloduy plant and had failed to report it to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Bulgarian public. The media in question quoted Georgi Kaschiev, former chairman of the
Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes (now the Nuclear Regulatory Agency), who now works at the Vienna-based Institute of Risk Research. Ovcharov described Kaschiev's statement as "speculative", saying it was intended to discredit the Bulgarian energy sector. "We should ask ourselves why we are angry at the rest of the world when we ourselves compromise the State's position and vision," Ovcharov also commented.
***National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski said he learnt about the incident at Kozloduy from the media. Pirinski told journalists in Pazardjik that the incident does not go out of standard world practice normal limits for such cases of disruption of operation. He defined the Government's commentaries and reactions as absolutely adequate. Yet, in his view, there are some questions that arise the main being why the public was not informed of the incident in time. He stated that currently he has no prerogative to seek responsibility for the incident at Kozloduy adding that he will get familiarized with the requirements about notification and actions due to be undertaken in such cases and will find out whether they need to be updated.
Corruption Level in Bulgaria's Court System Keeps Declining and Is Quite Low at Present
Sofia, April 25 - The actual level of corruption in Bulgaria's court system keeps declining and is quite low at present, said Kenneth Stuart, Director of the Judicial Strengthening Initiative (JSI) project for Bulgaria of the US Agency for International Development. He attended a news conference on the results of the Court and Us Project, implemented by Journalists Against Corruption Club and the Union of Judges in Bulgaria with the support of the USAID. Stuart does not think that the fact that people do not trust these figures and assume that the court system in Bulgaria is corrupt should be ignored. As he put it, this problem should be addressed through openness of the court system and standardization of judicial procedures, so that the court process could be predictable. The more information people have about the operation of the courts, the more trust they will place in them, he added. Three public awareness campaigns with documentary films and publications were implemented under the Court and Us Project: in Stara Zagora, Plovdiv and Sofia, said Journalists Against Corruption Chair Reneta Nikolova. "Even though judicial protection of citizens' interests seems a complicated and slow process, this is the only civilized way to address problems," Nikolova said. As she put it, successful administration of justice in Bulgaria requires unconditional political will to cope with impunity for crime and corruption, as well as fair adjudication of legal disuputes. The judges who worked under the Courts and Us Project said the most important result of the project is the building of legal awareness in people and familiarizing them with legal provisions. Union of Judges in Bulgaria President Nelly Koutskova noted that the ideas of the three awareness campaigns could be developed further into an educational film or a manual on the rights and duties of citizens and of the participants in the judicial process. Koutskova noted that the cure for corruption is not in severe sentences but in prevention, which requires transparency in the work of the court. The media have a pronounced role to play in this. In a greetings address to the Club, Supreme Administrative Court President Konstantin Penchev says that the awareness raising films under the project are incontestable proof that the Bulgarian court system is functioning and that magistrates are not the principal stumbling block to Bulgaria's admission to the EU. Citizens will only benefit from cooperation between the judiciary and the media, Penchev adds.
EXCHANGE RATESSofia, April 25 - The Bulgarian National Bank sets the Bank sets the rates of foreign currencies against the Bulgarian lev applicable from 5 p.m. on April 25 to 5 p.m. on April 26,
2006. The central rates are used for the purposes of accounting, statistics, customs valuation and remittances. The commercial banks set the exchange rates at which foreign exchange is bought and sold.
_______________________________________________ CURRENCY SWIFT CODE FOR LEVA_______________________________________________AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR AUD 1 1.17566CANADIAN DOLLAR CAD 1 1.38417SWISS FRANC CHF 1 1.24314CHINESE YUAN RENMINBI CNY 10 1.96370CYPRUS POUND CYP 1 3.39495CZECH KORUNA CZK 10 0.688794DANISH KRONE DKK 1 0.262140ESTONIAN KRONE EEK 1 0.125000BRITISH POUND GBP 1 2.81658HONG KONG DOLLAR HKD 1 0.203018CROATIAN KUNA HRK 1 0.267940HUNGARIAN FORINT HUF 100 0.742391INDONESIAN RUPIAH IDR 10,000 1.78612ICELANDIC KRONA ISK 10 0.212590JAPANESE YEN JPY 10 0.137628SOUTH KOREAN WON KRW 100 0.166554LITHUANIAN LITAS LTL 1 0.566448LATVIAN LAT LVL 1 2.809700MALTESE LIRA MTL 1 4.555860MALASIAN RINGGIT MYR 1 0.432209NORWEGIAN KRONE NOK 1 0.249230NEW ZEALAND DOLLAR NZD 1 0.991398PHILIPPINE PESO PHP 10 0.303324POLISH ZLOTY PLN 1 0.505395NEW ROMANIAN LEU RON 1 0.565759RUSSIAN ROUBLE RUB 10 0.574821SWEDISH KRONA SEK 1 0.209570SINGAPOREAN DOLLAR SGD 1 0.991700SLOVENIAN TOLAR SIT 100 0.816358SLOVAK KORUNA SKK 10 0.527178THAI BAHT THB 10 0.418404NEW TURKISH LIRA TRY 1 1.18989US DOLLAR USD 1 1.57411SOUTH AFRICAN RAND ZAR 1 0.260548GOLD XAU 1 troy ounce 990.538
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Èçõ. N 55-00-10 / 26. 04. 2006 ã.