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At 5.30 the first family of the Zrankovs clan left the barracks in the Sofia residential district of Tchelopechene. The Gypsy family left in 4 taxi-vans and a bus after conducting two-hour negotiations with Dimitar Kalchev, Minister for the Civil Service. Photo Kiril Konstantinov
Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, National Assembly Chairman Ognyan Gerdjikov, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Mehmed Dikme, MPs and politicians, among others, attended the official start of the harvest in the fields of Ivan Gochev, Executive Director of the Farmers Association. The oldest reaper, 80-year-old Ivan Vassilev, who served as a guard in Vrana under King Boris III, the prime minister's father, cut the first sheaf of wheat. Pressphoto BTA. Photo : Grigor Marinov.
Gunfire Reported During The Blockade.
Reality Macedonia
(Jul 09 02:32) Late this afternoon, gunshots reported near the place of the road block on Skopje-Tetovo Highway. Alegdly, the albanian criminal gangs oppend fire to scater the civilians on the road block, but the police outpost returned with same measures. Fire in the air. So far no injured were reported.
Tetovo police department confirmed that gunfire was heard during the blockade.
Roadblocks on Tetovo-Skopje Highway Removed.
Makfax
The roadblocks on Skopje-Tetovo highway had been removed late on Monday. Some 400 people set up roadblocks early Monday at the paytoll near the village of Zelino, voicing their discontent with unsolved destiny of kidnapped Macedonians. The old road linking the cities of Skopje and Tetovo was also blocked. Shootings in the air had been reported during the protests.
Fortunately, no serious incident had occurred. Unknown persons had taken away the recorded materials from Skopjes private television Telma.
The International Commission on Missing Persons, chaired by Swedish Ambassador in Skopje Lars Vahlund presented Monday the preliminary report on persons reported missing during the last years conflict. Based on the report, the vast majority of missing Macedonians had been kidnapped by NLAs splinter groups. As regards the missing Albanians, some of them had been seen for the last time at the security police checkpoints.
Oiling the Wheels.
TOL
by Robert Alagjozovski
Macedonia and Greece hail a new pipeline, but the courts and the European Commission question preferential terms of trade.
SKOPJE, Macedonia--With fanfare and high-ranking guests to spare, Macedonian Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski and Greek Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos on 2 July turned on the taps to a new oil pipeline between the Greek city of Thessaloniki and the Macedonian capital of Skopje.
In a ceremony in Thessaloniki, Georgievski hailed the pipeline, saying "this linkage is a symbolic message for cooperation in other areas and calling the pipeline a "starting point for new investment in the region. The Macedonian prime minister said that the project could herald a beginning for other cooperation, such as the building of highways between Skopje and Thessaloniki and Bitola (Macedonia) and Florina (Greece), as well as new gas pipelines. Tsohatzopoulos said that the pipeline would be extended toward Pristina and Nish, transporting refined oil to Kosovo and Serbia.
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yoanis Magriotis said at the same ceremony that the completion of the pipeline--combined with Greeces other investments in the Balkans--showed his countrys commitment to stability in the region.
The pipelines principal investor, with an 80 percent stake in the enterprise, is the largest industrial company in Greece, Hellenic Petroleum. The Macedonian government controls 20 percent. Hellenic Petroleum already owns a refinery, OKTA, in Skopje.
The pipeline--which cost $110 million to construct--is the biggest energy project in the Balkans, Hellenic Petroleum claims. It is 214 kilometers long, and a total of 2.5 million tons of crude oil per year is expected to be transported from the Hellenic Petroleum plant in Thessaloniki to the OKTA refinery in Skopje. The project will cut transport costs and ensure Macedonia receives a consistent and reliable oil supply.
The official celebrations of the pipelines completion were overshadowed when Macedonias Constitutional Court on 3 July to decide whether the new pipeline could be considered a monopoly. The biggest oil company in Macedonia, Makpetrol, has asked the court to investigate the legality of OKTAs sale to Hellenic Petroleum in 1999. The case has been dragged through the courts for two years.
The agreement gives OKTA the right to import oil with just 1 percent charged as customs duty. Other importers face a 20 percent duty. On 3 July, the European Commission entered the fray, issuing a statement calling on the Macedonian government to respect the terms of the Stability Pact and to offer importers equal conditions.
Although this, as well as several other direct investments, highlights Greeces role as an important EU partner for Macedonia, the two countries are still embroiled in a bitter dispute over the official name of Macedonia. Declaring historical and cultural rights to the name "Macedonia," Greece blocked the recognition of the former Yugoslav state in the beginning of 1990s. After several years of cold relations, Macedonia and Greece in 1995 signed an agreement giving them seven years to settle the name issue.
The agreement ends in 2002, but there have been no positive moves in the negotiations, which are taking place under the auspices of the United Nations.
Greek investments in the country are therefore seen in two lights: Some analysts believe that economic interest will prevent Greece from trying to destabilize the country through hardball negotiations, while others believe its investments give Greece extra leverage during the talks.
MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER MEET OSCE, NATO AND EU REPRESENTATIVES.
Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski had a meeting Tuesday with European Union Special Envoy to Macedonia Alain Le Roy, NATO and OSCE Ambassadors Craig Jenness and Nicolaas Biegman, the President's Cabinet said in a press release.
At the meeting, Trajkovski referred to the security situation in Macedonia, considering yesterday's blockade of the road Tetovo-Skopje. The officials concluded that the country was stable despite the incidents.
The officials also reviewed the Interior Ministry plan for its further activities in the former crisis regions in regard to restoring of the rule of law and creating of conditions for normal life of all citizens.
According to the press release, the international representatives fully supported the plan.
The last report of the EU Committee on kidnapped and other missing persons, chaired by Swedish Ambassador Lars Wahlund, was also discussed at the meeting. According to Trajkovski, the Interior Ministry, the Public Prosecutor's Office and The Hague Tribunal should now take concrete activities so that the persons, who committed those crimes, will be brought to justice.
The international representatives expressed readiness to work together with the Macedonian authorities in regard to this matter and to call on those involved in the last year conflict to cooperate with the relevant bodies in reveling of the fate of 12-missing persons.
Today's meeting at the President's Cabinet also tackled the issue of the security situation in the country and the report on the kidnapped persons from Tetovo, which was prepared by Swedish Ambassador Lars Wahlund.
"The security situation is stabile, marking an improvement with every new day, but it is still unsatisfactory", Le Roy stated.
He emphasised that the international community fully supported the police plan for the period from July 1, according to which it will be active in the former crisis areas. The EU Special Envoy explained that the Ministry of Interior was the initiator of the project, based on the plan of Ambassador Jenness.
According to Le Roy, "the search must continue, having in mind the fact that Wahlund's report does not provide satisfactory information on the fate of kidnapped persons. We have to urge all people that know something about the kidnapped. We have met the relatives of the kidnapped persons and we think that the investigation must continue, in order to find a solution for the problem", Le Roy emphasised.
Regarding the announced election boycott by DPA if the Law on passports was not passed, Le Roy expressed hope that a reasonable solution would be found for this problem, and that DPA would still participate at the elections "because Macedonia is a democratic country".
OSCE Ambassador Jenness also stated that "the security situation has significantly improved, the movement of people is safer, and there are less incidents and problems".
Jenness stressed that "everybody at today's meeting expressed concern about yesterday's incidents in Tetovo region". He says that it is very bad that there are still people in this country that possess firearms, using them for realization of political goals. The Ministry of Interior has a plan to enhance the control in the crisis regions, which should be realised in cooperation with the communities, in order to reestablish full stability.
Asked what would be done regarding the kidnapped persons, Jenness stated that this question should be put to the state institutions.
"We have talked about the ways in which people can give us any kind of information, because this is a humanitarian issue, which has unfortunately been politicized".
Asked whether some of the kidnapped persons were dead, Ambassador Biegman said "everything about the case is presented in Wahlund's report, and there is no information there whether the kidnapped persons are dead or alive".
Regarding yesterday's incident with the road blockade at highway Tetovo-Skopje by the relatives of the kidnapped, Biegman stated "the blockades should not be there, regardless of the fact who sets them. This is not the way to express one's feelings".
Biegman explained "the road blocks should not be set at the highways, because it thwarts the police work", adding, "this was the same with the Albanians recently".
Asked if the NATO contingent, located in Erebino, had any problems with yesterday's blockades, Biegman stated that the situation was quickly solved by the police and NATO task force 'Amber Fox.
Having in mind Monday's shooting, Biegman was asked whether operation "Essential Harvest" for collection of illegal weaponry should continue. He considers that the illegal weaponry is not a problem in Macedonia, but at the Balkan region as a whole.
According to him, the important thing is that the weapons must not be used.
"Certain amount of weaponry can be collected, but not all of it".
Asked whether Macedonian forces should go in the mountains and look for graves of the kidnapped Macedonians, NATO Ambassador emphasised "all of those that have any information should present them, and the International Crime Tribunal, along with the Public Prosecutor, should agree on the future activities".
SPOKESMAN TRENDAFILOV: LIQUIDATION OF LOSS-MAKING COMPANIES FINALLY COMPLETED.
At its regular session Tuesday, the Macedonian Government discussed on the loss-making companies.
The session was focused on communication problems among the Body for Structural Reforms, the Government, some ministries and international financial institutions and organizations involved in the reorganization of Macedonian economy, in the process of bankruptcy or sale of some loss- making companies, Government spokesman Georgi Trendafilov said.
"The Government general stand - liquidation of loss-making companies, starting bankruptcy proceedings and social packages, is finally completed," he added.
The Structural Reforms Body was to give its final analyses on the achievements in the economy regarding the loss-making companies, Trendafilov stated.
"The Government and the ministries worked for a year and a half to prepare the social package," he underlined.
Trendafilov said that a draft-law on passport was not debated at today's session and he could not make assumptions for the next ones.
Regarding the claims for the presence of armed police unit 'Lavovi' (Lions) at Skopje - Tetovo road blockade Monday, set by the relatives of kidnapped persons, he said, "their protest is understandable and a serious person should not criticize them, because yesterday's session of the parliamentary committee presented no results regarding the fate of kidnapped persons."
"The claim that 'Lions' in civilian cloths have been among this people is just a journalist's speculation. The Interior Ministry denied the speculations. The Interior Ministry has been acting in accordance with its authorities," Trendafilov underlined.
"Nevertheless, some armed persons were present near Zelino and opened fire," Trendafilov stated.
The Macedonian Government at its regular session presided by Prime Minister Ljubcho Georgievski reviewed and adopted the draft-Law on Housing.
The changes and supplements to the Law aim to extend the deadlines for buying out the state-owned apartments for ten years.
The Government also reviewed and accepted the changes to the Decision for providing means in order to cover the liabilities of the clients of "TAT" - Bitola, "Alfa S" - Skopje and "Lavci" - Ohrid savings banks. According to the decision, the liabilities amounting to 1,000 will be paid in cash to the clients through the following banks: Stopanska Banka - Bitola for "TAT" clients, Stopanska Banka - Skopje for "Alfa S" clients and Ohridska Banka - Ohrid for "Lavci" clients.
The Government also approved the changes to the Decision for declaring foreign money that can be brought in or taken out of Macedonia. According to the Decision, the foreign citizens including the Macedonian immigrants, and the Macedonian citizens working abroad are obliged to declare the amount of foreign currency that exceeds 150, which are brought in or taken out of the country. However, the money taken out cannot be higher than the amount declared when entering the country.
In order to avoid the problems of the Macedonian immigrants for not declaring money when entering Macedonia, the Government has decided to increase the amount they are obliged to declare from 150 to 5,000.
The Government also made a Decision to recognize the licensing plates and licenses issued by UNMIK for the vehicles owned by citizens of Kosovo, Yugoslavia. The decision is brought in order to promote the good cooperation with UNMIK upon the request of Michael Steiner, the mission's head. After the decision is enforced, the vehicles can travel on Macedonian territory in compliance with the country's regulations. However, these vehicles are obliged to pay the insurance at the Macedonian border crossings.
MACEDONIA AND FRANCE SIGN COOPERATION PROTOCOL ON CULTURAL INHERITANCE.
Macedonian Minister of Culture Ganka Samoilovska - Cvetanova and French Ambassador in Skopje Jean Francois Terrell signed Tuesday the protocol "Macedonian - French Programme for Valorisation and Popularisation of the Macedonian Cultural Inheritance", whose realization started three years ago.
The program has been realised by the Macedonian Ministry of Culture and relevant cultural institutions in the country, in collaboration with the French Ministries of Culture, Communications and Foreign Affairs, as well as the National Cities' Net Program for preservation of the history and art in France.
"Signing of this protocol is a crown of the excellent cooperation since 1999.
The program has been designed in accordance with the French 15-year experience in this sphere, determining the activities for developing of cultural tourism in Macedonia," Samoilovska-Cvetanova said.
One of the main priorities of the Culture Ministry's strategy referred to developing of the cultural tourism, and promoting of the culture into important segment in achieving overall prosperity of the country, she added.
Ambassador Terrell expressed satisfaction with signing of the protocol, which, as he said, "determines and enriches a three - year cooperation with the Macedonian Culture Ministry. The project is not large, but very significant for the culture sector, i.e. for developing of tourism, which offers great potential."
The program in Macedonia has been realised through direct collaboration of the French city Angouleme, the region Poitou Sharente and the French Cultural Center in Skopje, including expert teams from both countries.
The program has several goals, such as studying of the history and morphological development of larger Macedonian cities, including collection of relevant historical data on their history, population, planning and architecture.
Macedonia and Equatorial Guinea Establish Diplomatic Relations.
MIA - Reality Macedonia
Remember Biafra?
Apart from possibility of getting into its budding oil business, local politicians can also benefit from the transfer of knowledge from the leaders of this former Spanish colony.
The Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea signed Tuesday a document for establishing diplomatic relations.
The representatives of both countries to the UN in New York, Ambassadors Srgjan Kerim and Mba Equa Micco, signed the document.
The document presents the willingness of both countries for friendly relations and cooperation in politics, commerce, economy and in other areas in accordance with the international law and the UN Charter. The diplomatic relations are in favour of both states and of the international peace and safety.
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Excerpts from the CIA World Factbook on Equatorial Guinea:
Background:
Composed of a mainland portion and five inhabited islands, Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by ruthless leaders who have badly mismanaged the economy since independence from 190 years of Spanish rule in 1968. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 presidential and 1999 legislative elections were widely seen as being flawed.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Government:
Executive branch: chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote to a seven-year term; election last held 25 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2003); prime minister and vice prime ministers appointed by the president
election results: President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected with 98% of popular vote in elections marred by widespread fraud Legislative branch: unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (80 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDGE 80%, UP 6%, CPDS 5%; seats by party - PDGE 75, UP 4 and CPDS 1
note: opposition parties have refused to take up their seats in the House to protest widespread irregularities in the 1999 legislative elections
Economy - overview:
The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the deterioration of the rural economy under successive brutal regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth. A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993 because of the government's gross corruption and mismanagement. Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. The country responded favorably to the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994. Boosts in production and high world oil prices stimulated growth in 2000, with oil accounting for 90% of greatly increased exports.
In Macedonia, Transforming the Media Through Technology.
Antiwar.com
by Christopher Deliso in Skopje
He's a fixture in Yugoslav music as a singer, and also a formidable journalist, with thirty years experience of Balkan reporting. He was on the scene in Bosnia, Kosovo and now, Macedonia. He has witnessed and reported on many things that went against the grain of accepted truths in the Western media. Now, Peter John Bosse, a jovial Dutchman with a decidedly humanitarian bent, is uniting his knowledge of the latest in communications technology with his devotion to accuracy in reporting.
The Problem.
"I am a facts person," says Bosse, sipping red wine and Coke in his spacious Skopje home. "If you do not have the facts, you cannot demonstrate the truth."
Having lived in the Balkans for 30 years, Bosse is acutely aware of the factors at play in this turbulent region where the truth is contested and concealed at every turn. In Macedonia, all media outlets are controlled by the government, various political parties, or outside interests. Funding often comes from parties or from diaspora groups. Western governments and aid agencies also get into the act. Their funding operations are often deliberately buried by a morass of bureaucracy and passed quietly through front intermediaries. In this controlled climate, it is often difficult to get an accurate story out, let alone agreement between the media bodies.
The Solution.
Enter Bosse. His plan is to create a collective resource center for journalists at his Macedonian production company, UNETwork. The project seeks to make media communication cheaper, faster, and of higher quality. The plan includes provisions for dirt-cheap worldwide telephone access, broadcast-quality live video feeds over the internet, and the use of high-tech editing, production and even photo equipment:
"During the 2001 war," recalls Bosse, "there were a lot of famous pictures Macedonian journalists took, but they couldn't sell them to the international media because of their poor quality."
Local journalists and freelancers will benefit most from this "equalizing" of the playing field. On the local level at least, this innovation should radically improve the reporting of events from Macedonia.
The Technology.
The main idea, says Bosse, is a primary ISDN upload of broadcast-quality camera footage. Right now, major media organizations spend a fortune for high-quality uploads. Bosse's technology, which will utilize two primary ISDN lines, should cut the price by more than half. He will offer a Gateway with up to 60 phone lines that can transform from analog to digital mode through compression, connected to a computer with high-band internet.
The 60 phone lines will also have another vital purpose keeping journalists the world over in touch. Members of the center will receive a calling card, and through punching in a pin code, will be able to go through Bosse's Gateway and reach the outside world for roughly ten cents a minute.
Bosse is especially keen on the plethora of uses such technology has: "it can be used for discussion boards, business conferences, musicians working together on some projects. Everything is open, you can reach everyone 24 hours a day all for a ridiculously low price."
Bosse's venture is even ahead of Macedonian state structures. He recalls, "I had a Dutch Radio show. They called into the Macedonian station, asking for permission to use their ISDN. Macedonian state radio does not even have ISDN right now. They may have the lines, but they don't have the equipment."
Costs.
Although Bosse expects to cover phone line costs through the sale of phone cards, the hardware alone costs around $20,000. Recently several potential funders have emerged, and Bosse is actively seeking to widen interest in the project.
This assistance is vital, Bosse says, because he believes it is the media that will help change the political climate in the Balkans, by promoting cooperation and a dedication to the truth in reporting:
"I believe in freelance journalists they're not paid by any boss, and so they need to work. They have the fire in their eyes they don't follow the mainstream."
Benefits for Journalistic Cooperation.
In a country where ethnic mistrust is high and imminent elections threaten to polarize relations even more, there is a strong need for some form of media cooperation. While some well-meaning foreign groups try to sit down Macedonian and Albanian journalists in a room together and then prate on about standards, Bosse is guided by an entrepreneurial spirit. If journalists were able to work together on saleable projects, he believes, a common interest would gradually develop. If Macedonian journalists were able to make a living and report the truth, state and institutionally supported local media would lose their power to spread propaganda. Yet currently there is no truly independent media organization in Macedonia having the right hardware.
"With my Gateway system," says Bosse, "journalists will have to work together and the money will flow in. Right now in Macedonia, the Macedonians and Albanians are alienated from one another. Yet if they have an economic interest, and work together, we will sell real pictures, real stories, which could help to cut down the lies. I think the world is ready for it. The world needs such information they cannot and should not depend on one journalist. Or, we can keep what we have now a situation where the big media sends a guy who is nearest to Macedonia, say from Rome, and he will come here without any actual knowledge about the situation."
Such projects are almost unknown and have a history of being done poorly, when they are done at all. Even large and well-funded "alternative" media outlets in the Balkans are, in Bosse's opinion, hampered by bureaucracy and inaction: "they have too many bureaucrats, killing everything. They come up with some beautiful ideas, but nobody does anything in the end."
Even ostensibly well-intentioned outfits have failed to follow through on their initial plan, says Bosse.
"Soros, for example, offered internet access to journalists. But that internet access was so slow you needed half an hour to open one page what is the use of that? All the big state sponsors and ministries have always been enormously slow and ineffective."
These observations have led Bosse to stay streamlined and profit-oriented. He does not want to get caught in the trap that so many other local organizations find themselves in, waiting for that next grant to make upgrades, or even just to keep the operation afloat.
Right now in the Balkans, there are many powerful, well-funded Western organizations seeking to bring "democratic values," "transparency," and more to Macedonia. Without exception, these organizations have floundered when it comes to improving Albanian-Macedonian relations. Despite a huge cash infusion, visible NATO and OSCE presence, and hundreds of NGO's, Western "confidence building" measures have failed.
Little wonder. Western efforts are typically based on the rhetoric of values and ideals that are not necessarily shared by all parties involved and perhaps not even by the benefactors themselves. Bosse's project may just succeed because it empowers those directly involved with cash, and not just empty words. In a region where ethnic and religious divisions are deep, it often seems futile to reconcile individuals based on allegedly universal Enlightenment-era values. In 2002, capitalism is a language that everyone understands. Forced cooperation with lofty Western institutions on instilling "values" inspires little enthusiasm. If the opportunity for self-directed business enterprise is made available, both misdirected antagonisms and corruption will be minimized.
The small and informal nature of the UNETwork enterprise relies on generating interest from the local journalists who will use the service. Given Bosse's long experience and many colleagues in the region, the word is sure to spread fast. Through revolutionizing the media technology available in Macedonia, Bosse believes that his ultimate goals lowering civil tension, promoting independent enterprise and an open society can be attained.
Handicapped People Misused & Exploited.
www.a1.com.mk - Reality Macedonia
Translated by Natenane
They understand each other best, they respect each other best and they love each other best Sevdan i Emin are sisters and since they have known about themselves they have been deaf-mute. They are 50 years old and they lead plain and simple life in one room each without beds, chairs or tables, but full of children. They are 11 people in this Shtip household, and the oldest humbly admits: If there is bread today we will eat it, but if there is no bread tomorrow we wont; still, we do not want to live on welfare, we want a job.
They want to work although hard work isnt highly valued. However, being on welfare brings about sense of humiliation. This family can live from the money of the welfare only to buy itself bread for eight days in a month.
Although they are frequently impoverished and hungry, never in their lives have these children thought that there are better mothers in the world than theirs.
They say; deaf-mute people know how to love a lot, how to appreciate life and to be happy about it, while life is really cruel.
However, their handicap is handicap of the community, which doesnt enable these people to provide with their own work at least one loaf of bread on the table that doesnt exist.
Anthrax-Infected Salami on the Market.
Standartnews
Biljana Vesselinova
Rosalina Dimitrova
Meat shops with dangerous product closed down in Varna.
Police and sanitation inspectors are combing through meat shops in northeastern Bulgaria. They check out all butcher's shops and sausage-makers in Varna, Dobritch, Targovishte and Shoumen, it transpired yesterday. The infection started spreading from Kaolinovo where two butchers contracted anthrax from a sick calf. They slaughtered the animal and sold it. For two weeks already the two of them have been kept in the infection ward of the Shoumen hospital with diagnosis "anthrax". Since the butchers went on working after they had been infected they passed on the disease to all meat they processed, doctors assume. All workers in the branch are in panic. At 3.00 p.m. Yani Yanev, regional governor of Varna, called an urgent meeting of the standing committee for crisis management and population protection.
PRESIDENT-MISSILES-MEETING.
BTA
Representatives of Local Authorities in Stara Zagora Set Forth Their Stand on Destruction of SS-23, Scud and FROG Missiles.
Sofia, July 9 (BTA) - The Mayor of Stara Zagora, Evgeni Zhelev, and the Chairman of the Stara Zagora Municipal Council, Prof. Ivan Bozhkov, informed President Georgi Purvanov of the stand of the local authorities in Stara Zagora on the upcoming destruction of the SS-23, Scud and FROG missiles at the Zmeyovo testing ground near Stara Zagora, Zhelev told BTA after the meeting.
According to Zhelev, the two sides agreed that Bulgaria should meet its commitment to destroy the missiles guaranteeing the life and health of the citizens of the municipality of Stara Zagora.
The only way to do this is by making an environmental impact assessment (EIA) which is a view shared by the President, Zhelev said.
Earlier on Tuesday the Mayor of Stara Zagora and representatives of the local authorities and regional leaders of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) attended a working meeting with Environment Minister Dolores Arsenova and experts of the Ministry. Possibilities are being sought for making an EIA of the upcoming destruction of the SS-23, Scud and FROG missiles at the Zmeyovo testing ground, Zhelev said after the meeting. According to him, the arguments of the representatives of Stara Zagora were accepted and ways to observe the law by making an EIA are being sought. Such an assessment will probably be assigned to the Defence Ministry with the full assistance of the Ministry of Environment.
According to Roumen Petkov, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Bureau of the BSP, the Environment Ministry has undertaken to make a detailed analysis of the possible effect of the destruction of the different components of the missiles on the soil, farm produce and health of the population.
BSP spokesman Angel Naydenov said that the BSP insisted and the Environment Ministry agreed on an expertise by institutions, independent from the ministries of environment and defence. Angelov also said that the ministers of environment and defence will come out with a coordinated stand which to a great extent shows the way decisions concerning the process of the destruction of the three types of missiles were adopted so far.
BULGARIA - EU.
BTA
Danish EU Presidency Will Prioritize Union's Enlargement.
Sofia, July 9 (BTA) - Denmark's key priority during its presidency of the EU will be the enlargement process, Danish Ambassador to Sofia Christian Faber-Rod told a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the Euroclub with the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Attending the meeting were Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Sofia Dimitris Kourkoulas and Minister of European Affairs and Chief EU Negotiator Meglena Kouneva.
Faber-Rod said that Denmark's objective is for the December EU meeting in Copenhagen to invite 10 applicant states. "We think that all candidate countries should be admitted in the EU, naturally, after they have prepared themselves successfully," the Danish diplomat said.
Kourkoulas said that the decisions of the Copenhagen meeting will bring a positive signal to Bulgaria. The EC official said that the fact that Bulgaria will not complete the accession talks in 2002 should not be considered a failure.
"The negotiations have developed exceptionally well in the past few months," Kourkoulas said, adding that the EC will strengthen its cooperation with and support for Bulgaria. He said the country should pay more attention to utilizing money from the structural funds.
Kouneva said that Bulgaria has made much progress in the talks on the chapters on Customs Union, Financial Control, Transport Policy and Justice/Home Affairs. She recalled that Parliament is discussing amendments to the Supreme Judicial Council Act and that the public has started a debate on changes in the Constitution.
Kouneva expressed a hope that the reforms in the judiciary will be noted on the regular report of the EC which will be publicized on October 16.
She said also that the Directorate on European Integration and Relations with International Financial Institutions with the Government will exercise preliminary and subsequent control of the commitments this country has assumed in the process of the EU accession negotiations.
BULGARIA - TURKISH DEFENCE MINISTER - VISIT.
BTA
NATO Enlargement, Fight against Terrorism Top Agenda of Turkish Defence Minister Cakmakoglu's Talks in Sofia.
Sofia, July 9 (BTA) - President Georgi Purvanov conferred on Tuesday with Turkish Defence Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu, who arrived on a three-day official visit here on Monday.
Purvanov said that a very intensive political dialogue is underway between Bulgaria and Turkey, which is underpinned by clear principles and has good prospects. Bulgaria highly appreciates Turkey's support for the former's bid to join NATO, as well as the assistance rendered under the "2+2" format [Turkey and Greece support to Bulgaria and Romania], Purvanov said.
From the point of view of the security in the region and avoidance of terrorist risks and threats in Southeast Europe, Turkey has always defended the notion that Bulgaria and Romania should be invited in NATO so as to complete the architectural structure of the Alliance, Cakmakoglu said, quoted by the President's press secretariat.
Earlier on Tuesday the Turkish guest met with Foreign Minister Solomon Passy. The two discussed NATO enlargement and the fight
against terrorism.
Passy described Bulgaria's relations with Turkey as "excellent". He thanked the Turkish government and Grand National Assembly for their support for the invitation to NATO Bulgaria is expecting.
Cakmakoglu said he talked with Passy about the two countries' integration in the EU and Bulgaria's bid for NATO membership. Turkey's continued support for Bulgaria and Romania goes hand in hand with military cooperation, personnel training and partnership in the defence industry, Cakmakoglu said.
The Turkish defence minister is satisfied with the participation of the Bulgarian contingent in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
"We appreciate Bulgaria's efforts to hinder the operation of terrorist organizations such as PKK against Turkey," Cakmakoglu said. Infrastructure projects in the Balkans were also discussed at the meeting.
BULGARIA - YUGOSLAVIA - MUNICIPALITIES.
BTA
Sofia, July 9 (BTA) - A cooperation agreement was signed Tuesday by Venelin Ouzounov, Chairman of the Management Board of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, and Goran Ciric, President of the Standing Conference of Yugoslavian Towns.
The agreement is aimed to promote the democratic principles of local self-government in the two countries and to expand regional cooperation in Southeastern Europe, the sides said.
Bulgarian and Yugoslavian municipalities are free to apply with European and other international donor organizations for support of joint projects, Ouzounov said. The sides considered an initiative to organize a Balkan folk festival with assistance from the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.
Belgrade Mayor Radmila Hrustanovic also attended the signing ceremony.
Hrustanovic said she and the other guests will be meeting with Sofia Mayor Stefan Sofiyanski later in the day to discuss a Euro-region project which, she said, will be instrumental in promoting cooperation in the region and has already met with support from Yugoslavian and Bulgarian municipalities.
"Capital cities also perform political diplomacy functions. They are supposed to open doors where official diplomacy is likely to fail," the Belgrade Mayor said.
CDs-YUGOSLAVIA-COMMENTARY.
BTA
Sofia, July 9 (BTA) - Speaking to BTA, Colonel Roumen Milanov, Director of the National Service Combating Organized Crime (NSCOC), denied that the Service acquiesced in the export of a CD replication machine from Bulgaria to Yugoslavia as reported by a national daily on Monday.
"We have scanty and contradictory information. It may turn out the machine was imported, for instance, from Germany, not from Bulgaria," Milanov said on the telephone. The NSCOC will ask its Yugoslav counterpart for more detailed information.
The Belgrade police found on July 7 the largest CD replication machine in Europe and about 750,000 pirated CDs in premises rented by two Belgrade-based companies, the Yugoslav Beta and TANJUG news agencies said.
Reportedly, the machine had been imported from Bulgaria.
THEATRE - OHRID SUMMER FESTIVAL.
BTA
Skopje, July 9 (BTA) - The Aleko Konstantinov Theatre of Satire in Sofia will participate in the traditional international music and theatre festival, Ohrid Summer, which opens in Ohrid, Macedonia, on July 12.
The Sofia theatre of satire will perform "Dinner for Shmucks" (the original French title is "Le diner de Cons") by Francis Veber. The play is staged by Jiri Menzel. According to the theatre programme selectioner, actor Senko Velinov, this is one of the most attractive theatre productions in Bulgaria staged in the last few years.
Velinov says he expects a lot from young Macedonian director Dejan Projkovski who is staging "M.M.E." by Dejan Dukovski at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre in Sofia.
During the Ohrid Summer festival, prominent Bulgarian violin player Prof. Mincho Minchev will direct a seminar for violinists, and Prof. Lidia Oshavkova will direct a seminar for flute players.
This year's programme of the festival includes 29 music and 11 theatre productions performed by musicians and actors from 16 countries in Europe and the Americas.
The Pirin folk ensemble from Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, will give a concert on July 15 as part of the Balkan Folk Festival held as part of Ohrid Summer 2002.
BG Accused of Corruption before NATO.
Standartnews
Lawyer of "Plama" - Pleven turns for defense to Lord Robertson.
"The whole state apparatus of Bulgaria is permeated with corruption, discriminative practices and conflicts of interests have reached such level that it is impossible for foreign investors to be treated fairly and on equal footing", runs the letter dated June 5, 2002 to Secretary General of NATO George Robertson from Per Christian Nortdome, lawyer of "Plama Consortium" based in Cyprus. A copy of the letter is sent to Premier Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Mr. Nortdome explains that three months before resuming work in January 1999, "Plama" was forced to halt because of "mafia-type attacks that passed unnoticed by the local police and magistrates". He quotes a case when a manager of the company was beaten up in plain view of policemen. "The institutionalized kleptocracy is even more brazen today than they were under Kostov's and Bozhkov's rule", claims the author. "The acceptance to NATO of a country that doesn't observe the law and disregards the requirements for equality may undermine the basic principles of the organization. I hope that this will be taken into consideration when the candidature of Bulgaria is discussed", concludes the author.
Tax Reduction for Donations.
Standartnews
Pavlina Zhivkova
VAT-exempt import of investment goods if worth over 10 million levs.
Employees working under labor contract may cut down their taxes giving out up to 10 percent of their income on donations, it transpired after the cabinet and leadership of NMS and MRF parliamentary groups adopted the proposal of the Finance Ministry. The aim is to stimulate donations and facilitate work of the NGOs, Finance Minister Milen Velchev said. Bulgaria's tax policy was debated for the second time yesterday. Finance Ministry is expected to submit also its bill on amendments to the Tax Acts at end-September. The amendments envisage investmentors to be relieved of the profit tax. Effective 7-percent VAT rate for the licensed tourist companies will be valid also for hotel-keepers who are not licenced. The imports for investment projects worth over 10 million levs are proposed to be VAT-free as well. Special department was established with the Finance Ministry to inform foreign investors about the tax policy in this country. Profit tax reduction is envisaged for investments in regions with high unemployment rate. Companies creating jobs in regions where the unemployment rate exceeds by 50 percent the average level in Bulgaria will pay 15 percent profit tax, while for the other firms the rate will be 23.5 percent.
Rulers Were Given "E" by Bulgarian People.
Team of "Standart"
Nothing positive happened in Bulgaria in the last year, Bulgarians are explicit.
In the wake of the election euphoria on June 17, 2001, Bulgarians are deeply disappointed both with the "New Age" and its figures. People are quite dissatisfied with the government of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and the NMS and gave them an "E", according to the recent national representative poll of the National Public Opinion Centre (NPOC), carried out between June 21 and 25, 2002. In a year, the credit rating of the NMS fell by 50 percent, the study of the sociologists shows. To 42 percent of the pollees, nothing positive happened in Bulgaria. Poverty seized Bulgarians by the throat. To them, the worst things that occurred in Bulgaria in the last year were the skyrocketing prices of electricity, telephones, water and central heating, NPOC concluded. A new big boost of unemployment is the nightmare of the people. The data are indicative of a state of complete fatigue caused by the experiments in running this country, as well as of increasing unwillingness to pay personally for the reforms and someone else's political blunders. The only hope of Bulgarians is that someone will cut off the link with the hitherto transitional model.
If Convicted, Mouravey Will Sing Out.
INTERVIEW Standartnews: Emil Koshloukov
Pavlina Zhivkova
Radev and Mikhailovski may betray Kostov, says MP Emil Koshloukov.
Emil Koshloukov is an MP in the 39th National Assembly. He was born in 1965. He enters politics in 1990 as a leader of the Federation of Independent Student Movements. He studied political science in California and later specialized in Great Britain and USA. Currently Koshloukov is the chairman of the parliamentary commission on civil society issues.
- Mr. Koshloukov, are the Bulgarian politicians good at their trade?
- Zhelju Zhelev and Ahmed Dogan are the people from whom I learnt most of my political lessons. Evidently, Ahmed Dogan grasps very well the logic of the political processes and picks out young people who are capable of developing and preparing cadres for his party. Ahmed Dogan should have become a prime minister of Bulgaria long time ago. Not only is he a crafty politician, but is very good at organizing people. It's not by chance that he is the only one who hasn't been changed and retained his post as the party leader His intellectual capacity is unquestionable. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) is a stabilizing factor in our coalition and a strong support for the ruling majority.
- Why hasn't the NMS taken any tangible measures against corruption despite the formally declared preparedness to curb it?
- Former minister of agriculture Ventsislav Varbanov has already been stripped of his immunity. He is under investigation. Charges are pressed against Wilhelm Krauss (ex-minister of transport). I hope that very soon Mouravey Radev (ex-minister of finance) will have to give explanations in court, too. In my opinion, the plundering can be proven if we investigate the set of links between Radev and Mihailovski. These are people who may betray Kostov. If one of them is convicted, he will sing out. What worries me now are the attacks against Prosecutor General Nikola Filtchev, because they may impede the whole process. He is the man who is defending the legal order in the republic and has the right to demand that those who are now hiding behind their immunity in parliament be stripped of it.
(Abr) |
