September
1, Sept-2002.

Home
1, Sept-2002.
2, Sept-2002.
3, Sept-2002.
4, Sept-2002.
5, Sept-2002.
6, Sept-2002.
7, Sept-2002.
8, Sept-2002.
9, Sept-2002.
10, Sept-2002.
11, Sept-2002.
12, Sept-2002.
13, Sept-2002.
14, Sept-2002.
15, Sept-2002.
16, Sept-2002.
17, Sept-2002.
18, Sept-2002.
19, Sept-2002.
20, Sept-2002.
21, Sept-2002.
22, Sept-2002.
23, Sept-2002.
24, Sept-2002.
25, Sept-2002.
26, Sept-2002.
27, Sept-2002.
28, Sept-2002.
29, Sept-2002.
30, Sept-2002.

Sunday.

Enter content here

ss-23_missiles_1sept2002.jpg

Bulgarian photographers take pictures of parts of a dismantled Soviet-made SS-23 missile in a factory near the town of Veliko Tarnovo, September 1, 2002. The missile destruction is a key pledge under Bulgaria's bid to join NATO, but it has triggered concerns at home where people fear environmental damages. Bulgaria, which hopes to win an invitation for NATO at a Prague summit in the autumn, has pledged to destroy its Soviet-made missiles by the end of October. REUTERS/Dimitar Dilkoff

347301ae_samba.jpg

Revellers dance at Asakusa Samba Carnival in downtown Tokyo. About 500,000 visitors watched some 3,000 revellers dance in the Japanese capital yesterday. Photo Reuters

mdf102980.jpg

Russia boasts more natural tourist attractions than most countries but though the World Trade Organization says the vast Russian Federation could be a magnet for up to 40 million foreign tourists a year, it attracted only 3.9 million visitors last year. Tour operators agree that post-Soviet Russia still struggles to shed its image as a country of sudden disaster, violent crime, bad food and grumpy service. Fireworks illuminate the sky above the Novodevichy monastery in Moscow, late September 1, 2002. (Cyril Iordansky/Reuters)

dismantled_ss-23_missiles_1sept2002.jpg

Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolai Svinarov checks parts of destroyed Soviet-made SS-23 missile in a factory near the town of Veliko Tarnovo, September 1, 2002. The missiles destruction is a key pledge under Bulgaria's bid to join NATO but it has triggered concerns at home where people fear environmental damages. Bulgaria, which hopes to win an invitation for NATO at a Prague summit in the autumn, has pledged to destroy its Soviet-made missiles by end-October. REUTERS/Dimitar Dilkoff

 
ENROLLING AT THE TWO UNIVERSITIES BEGINS.
 
MIA

666-0209g.jpg

The enrolling at the two state universities in Macedonia will take place on September 3 and 4.
 
The Skopje university "St. Kiril and Metodij" has vacancies for 2.052 regular students, 370 part time and 1,024 who will co-finance their education.
 
The students who enter in the state quota will pay between 100 and 200 Euro, and those who will be enrolled with co-financing between 400 and 700 Euro.
 
The entry exams at the Skopje university will take place on September 11 and 13, and the results will be announced on September 17. The enrolling of the candidates who pass the entry exam will take place on September 19 and 20.
 
At the Bitola university "St. Kliment Ohridski" there are 942 vacancies for regular students and 292 for part time students. There is no entry exam at the faculties within this university, and the preliminary results will be announced on September 6.

September 1 in History.
 
Standartnews
 
In 1916 Bulgaria declared war on Romania.
 
Seven Die in Severe Road Accidents.
 
Standartnews
 
Bloody melee in Varna, rockers' chieftain dead after motorbike clash.
 
Four severe road accidents took their toll - seven people were killed within numbered hours on Friday and Saturday. Two women perished in a chain clash and Trakia highway had to be blocked for almost an hour. In other three accidents in Varna five people were killed. One of them is Stoicho Atanassov, a.k.a. Chocho, leader of the local rockers. The bloody drama near Sofia took place at the 16th km of the road to Plovdiv about 7.20 a.m. A Suzuki taxi with Sofia license plates went in the wrong lane and clashed into a Mercedes with Austrian registration. The clash made the Mercedes spin and it swept a Volkswagen-Passat and Lada that followed it.
 
UN - SECURITY COUNCIL - PRESIDENCY - BULGARIA.
 
BTA
 
Bulgaria Takes Over UN Security Council Presidency.
 
Sofia, September 1 (BTA) - Bulgaria took over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council on September 1.
 
"The position sets high standards for Bulgarian diplomacy and provides an opportunity for effective implementation of the country's foreign policy priorities," the Foreign Ministry said in a press release August 30.
 
"Bulgaria is taking over the presidency of the primary UN body with due responsibility for this demanding task and with resolve to follow up a constructive, balanced and consistent policy in order to make the performance of the UN Security Council more effective and to seek unity in carrying out the Council's responsibilities, enshrined in the Charter of the international organization," the Foreign Ministry said.
 
Foreign Minister Solomon Passy is expected to give a special news conference Monday, September 2 on his forthcoming visit to the United States and the Bulgarian presidency of the UN Security Council.
 
One of the highlights in the Council's working schedule is a meeting in commemoration of the tragic events in the US of September 11, 2001, which will be chaired by Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov.
 
The Council will also devote attention to the situation in the Balkans. Foreign Minister Passy will chair a meeting on Kosovo September 5. A meeting on Bosnia-Herzegovina is planned as well.
 
Other items on the tentative agenda of the Security Council are discussions on the situations in the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia and Eritrea.
 
PRESIDENT - WORLD SUMMIT - JOHANNESBURG.
 
BTA
 
President Purvanov Leaves for World Summit on Sustainable Development.
 
Sofia, September 1 (BTA) - A delegation headed by President Georgi Purvanov left for Johannesburg Saturday night to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
 
Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, accompanied by two officials, joined the Bulgarian delegation for the flight.
 
The Bulgarian delegation includes Environment and Waters Minister Dolores Arsenova, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Mehmed Dikme, Deputy Foreign Minister Petko Draganov and experts.
 
President Purvanov is expected to take part in twelve events during the forum, including plenary meetings which he will address. On Tuesday, September 3, Purvanov and Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer will co-chair a discussion on "Partnerships for Local Action: Towards Sustainable Communities in Central and Eastern Europe." This parallel event is organized by the United Nations Development Programme.
 
On Monday, Environment Minister Arsenova and Austrian Agriculture and Environment Minister Wilhelm Molterer will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of joint projects.
 
Agriculture Minister Dikme will meet with Agriculture Ministers Angela Thoko Didiza of the Republic of South Africa, Wilhelm Molterer of Austria, and Konstandinos Themistokleous of Cyprus to present Bulgaria's priorities in farming and forestry and opportunities to invigorate two-way trade in farm products.
 
POLITICAL EVENTS - WEEKLY ROUNDUP.
 
BTA

Weekly Roundup of Political Events, August 24-30.
 
Sofia, September 1 (BTA)
 
DAMASCUS, August 25-26
 
Foreign Minister Solomon Passy visits Syria for talks with President Bashar al-Asad, Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa Miru, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Muhammad al-Husayn, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Farouk al-Sharaa.
 
SOFIA, August 27-28
 
Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos meets with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Nikolay Vassilev, Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, and Deputy Economy Minister Milen Keremedchiev.
 
Loverdos and Keremedchiev sign an intergovernmental agreement on a five-year development cooperation programme, according to which Bulgaria will receive 54,290,000 euros under a Greek plan for Balkan reconstruction.
 
SOFIA, August 27-30
 
Iranian Housing and Urban Development Minister Ali Abdol-Alizadeh meets here with Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development and Public Works Minister Kostadin Paskalev, Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, National Assembly Deputy Chairman Yunal Lyutfi, and Deputy Energy Minister Angel Minev. The sides sign an agreement on long-term cooperation in the construction sector.
 
SOFIA, August 28-29
 
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the International Francophonie Organization, visits Bulgaria for talks with President Georgi Purvanov and Foreign Minister Solomon Passy. Boutros-Ghali and Passy sign an agreement on the Francophone Institute of Administration and Management in Sofia.
 
SOFIA, August 28-30
 
A Danish military delegation headed by the chief of operative command of the Danish Land Force Gen. Ian Sharling pays an official visit.
 
SOFIA, August 29
 
American Jewish Committee Executive Director David A. Harris is received by President Georgi Purvanov and confers with Foreign Minister Solomon Passy.
 
SOFIA, August 30-31
 
A Southeast European consultative working meeting is held here to coordinate national positions on the text of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), ahead of the fifth session of the negotiations. The meeting is attended by health ministry officials and national tobacco control coordinators from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, and representatives of the WHO Regional Office for Europe and WHO Headquarters.
 
SOFIA, August 30
 
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry expresses concern over the increasingly frequent acts of violence in Macedonia. The Foreign Ministry says it expects the official authorities and all political forces in Macedonia to adhere to the Ohrid Framework Agreement and to prevent incidents which might hinder the normal course of the pre-election process in that country.

Many Japanese Mix up Bulgaria and Brazil.
 
INTERVIEW Standartnews: Rio Takada

347305a_takada.jpg

Konstantin Sabtchev

We want to design an Internet page to advertise your country, says Rio Takada.

Rio Takada is probably the most famous Japanese in Bulgaria. For two years now he has been living with his wife Satomi in the village of Shipka. They are the first couple that was willing to stay in Bulgaria for a longer time. Among their numerous new friends they feel happy here. The ambition of Rio Takada is to help the Bulgarians and his retired compatriots. His idea is to settle pensioners from Japan in Bulgaria.

- Mr. Takada, who has conceived the idea to settle Japanese pensioners in Bulgaria?

- Currently Japan is living through a serious economic recession. That is why more and more couples are trying to settle down in other countries. This has been common practice in Japan for almost 20 years. However, there is hardly any information about Bulgaria in my country. Many people even mix up Bulgaria with Brazil. This prevents Japanese pensioners from coming here.

- Could you specify what can Bulgaria gain from your initiative?

- An average pension in Japan is about 3000 levs. For Japan it is not sufficient and many pensioners cannot keep up good standard of living. For Bulgaria, though, this sum is quite substantial. Just fancy that about 100,000 retired couples from Japan settle down in Bulgaria. This makes 200,000 pensions. If my compatriots remit at least half of their pensions to Bulgaria it would mean that around 3 billion levs a year will be poured into Bulgarian economy. And my ambition is to bring here not 200,000 but 1 million people. I would like to design an Internet site for Bulgaria and a special page for the village of Shipka. Thus I will acquaint my compatriots with the country where I and my wife are living now.

Enter supporting content here