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Foreign Minister Solomon Passy gave a sacrifice in honour of BG's invitation to NATO. He shaved smoothly his legendary beard. A year ago to the question: 'When will you shave your beard?', No 1 diplomat answered: "When they invite us to NATO." Yesterday, he fulfilled his promise and showed up in his brand new image at the working lunch given by President Georgi Parvanov to the NATO member-countries' ambassadors to Bulgaria. While BG top diplomat shook hands with Jaroslav Lindenberg - ambassador of Poland - the PM was paying compliments to the German first diplomat in this country - Urssula Seiler-Albring, before the watchful eyes of US ambassador James Pardew. Photo by Victor Levi
President Georgi Purvanov meets visiting Slovak counterpart Rudolf Schuster. Pressphoto BTA photo: Anelia Nikolova
Macedonian court revokes arrest warrant for former rebel leader, other ethnic Albanians.
41 minutes ago
By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES, Associated Press Writer
SKOPJE, Macedonia - Macedonia's justice authorities have revoked the arrest warrants for a former rebel leader and scores of other ethnic Albanian suspects sought in connection with last year's insurgency, an official said Wednesday.
The reversal followed a Tuesday decision by the Skopje authorities to hand over investigations of five cases of atrocities committed during the six-month ethnic conflict to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.
What amounts to a withdrawal of the warrants is likely to defuse tensions in this Balkan country, still plagued by violence and ethnic animosities.
Vlado Dzuvlidziev, a spokesman for a Skopje district court which had issued the warrant for Ali Ahmeti a top rebel leader turned politician who was recently elected as legislator to Macedonia's parliament and 34 other suspects, mostly ethnic Albanians, said the warrants were no longer valid.
"The Macedonian authorities no longer have any jurisdiction over Ahmeti in this matter," Dzuvlidziev said. "It is now up to The Hague tribunal to investigate and possibly indict Ahmeti."
Tuesday's decision followed warnings from international officials that Macedonia must respect the U.N. tribunal's authority in investigating war crimes in the Balkans and allow it to take over jurisdiction in those cases.
Ethnic Albanians launched the insurgency against Macedonian government troops in 2001, in a quest to win more rights for their minority which comprises up to a third of Macedonia's population of 2 million.
The conflict took dozens of lives on both sides, but authorities had so far focused mainly on bringing ethnic Albanians to justice.
A Western-brokered peace accord included an amnesty for most of rebels and stipulated that any war crimes must be prosecuted by the international court. Nevertheless, the warrants were issued before September parliamentary elections.
As a member o the national parliament, Ahmeti now enjoys immunity from prosecution.
Dzuvlidziev would not speculate on whether the U.N. war crimes tribunal would act in Ahmeti's case.
UNMIK HEAD STEINER VISITS MACEDONIA.
MIA
Regional cooperation and coordination are necessary for efficient combat against the organized crime, UNMIK Head Michael Steiner said Wednesday.
Steiner said that at his meetings with President Boris Trajkovski, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva and Vice Premier Musa Xhaferi, is was concluded for the trade to be intensified among the countries in the region.
According to him, the Macedonian Government's decision to open two new border crossings towards Yugoslavia, on Kosovo part of the border, will facilitate the freedom of movement.
"By reviewing several practical issues, we agreed that certain investments should be made, but first peace and cooperation ought to be established," he said.
Steiner informed that he and the Macedonian officials have signed an Agreement on Cooperation for exchanging information necessary for the combat against terrorism and organized criminal.
According to him, they did not discuss the demarcation of the Macedonian northern border, because he was not assigned to talk on this issue.
Today, Steiner also had a meeting with Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski had a meeting with Steiner, focused on the cooperation between Macedonian relevant bodies and UNMIK.
Steiner briefed Trajkovski about the UNMIK activities for further stabilization of Kosovo. He also reiterated the UN position on the validity of the Macedonian-Yugoslav Border Delineation Agreement.
The officials agreed that the cooperation should be focused on solving of everyday problems of citizens living along the border. In addition, attention should be paid to alleviation of the transport, customs and trade regime.
Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and Steiner agreed that the region's security was significantly improved, and reconfirmed the inviolability of Macedonia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Crvenkovski and Steiner welcomed the signing of a Police Cooperation Protocol between UNMIK and the Macedonian Interior Ministry, which will contribute to more efficient combat against organized crime.
The officials also expressed concern about the economic and social problems, saying that their solution requires efficient measures.
Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva briefed Steiner about beginning of the Macedonian-Yugoslav border demarcation in accordance with the Border Delineation Agreement between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
UNMIK would respect the Border Delineation Agreement in compliance with its mandate and the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, Steiner said.
The officials shared opinions on opening new border crossings and checkpoints, as possible solutions of the practical problems of citizens living along the Macedonian-Yugoslav border, on the Kosovo part.
Mitreva also raised the issues on missing persons from Macedonia in Kosovo, compensation of Macedonian citizens who worked at the cement factory "General Jankovic" and revision of authenticity of diplomas, issued by the Pristina University.
The need for more intensified economic cooperation and full respect of the free trade regime was also discussed at the meeting.
Today, representatives of the Macedonian Interior Ministry and UNMIK Branko Bojcevski and Jean Christian Cady signed Interim Protocol on Police Cooperation, which enables exchange of information on combating organized crime, trafficking in arms, drugs and humans, and money laundry.
Phase II Of De-Mining Activities Continues.
European Agency for Reconstruction- Information and Communications Unit
Verbatim text of EAR's press release
Following the allocation in September 2002 of two EU-funded contracts worth 1,9 million euros, 36 villages and 1,730,000 sqm2 have been cleared of land mines and unexploded ordnance. The EU de-mining funds, managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction, covers the Tetovo region, the Skopska Crna Gora-Lipkovo areas, and outlying areas of Skopje.
"The NGOs working with EU funds have made rapid progress in only two and a half months of work," said Gianni Pelosio, the programme manager for de-mining. "We are very satisfied with the speed and quality of the works."
Twelve de-mining teams with specially trained dogs have been working in selected operational districts. Care Germany has worked in the Tetovo region, in such areas as Popova Sapka, while Handicap International has been deployed in the Kumanovo areas, and now in Aracinovo. A further allocation of EU funds have supported a civil protection clearance programme.
Care Germany reports that de-mining activities have benefited fifteen villages where mines and UXOs have been checked and cleared. Five anti-tank mines and ten unexploded ordnances have so far been found in the Care International areas of operations.
Meanwhile, Handicap International has cleared twenty-one villages and has found as a result one land mine and twenty-two unexploded ordnance. In all, the two implementing NGOs and the civil protection teams have found nine mines and 90 pieces of unexploded ordnance.
Training of the civil protections teams by the International Trust Fund and all of the de-mining work in the country has been coordinated through the United Nations Mine Action Office in fYR [sic!]Macedonia. According to UNMAO, 3,500,000 sqm2 of the countrys territory has been cleared since the beginning of de-mining and UXO clearance operations in October 2001, while 18 mines and 650 pieces of unexploded ordenance have so far been recovered and destroyed.
November 27 in History.
Standartnews
In 1919 Alexander Stamboliiski signed the Treaty of Neuilly between Bulgaria and the Entente after the first World War.
SLOVAKIA-PRESIDENT-VISIT.
Slovak President Schuster Arrives on One-Day Working Visit Here.
Sofia, November 27 (BTA) - Slovak President Rudolf Schuster arrived Wednesday on a one-day official visit here.
He will have a one-to-one meeting with counterpart Georgi Purvanov and will confer with Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
Schuster will be awarded the doctor honoris causa title of the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski and will open an exhibition of Jan Kudlicka and Rastislav Biarinec at the Gallery of International Art. He will also attend the press launch of the Bulgarian translation of his book, "The Ultimatum".
Svinarov: We Said 'Yes' to USA about Iraq.
Standartnews
Elena Yaneva
Vassil Petev
Bulgaria has given positive answer to USA about probable coalition for Iraq's disarmament, Defence Minister Nikolay Svinarov said after the working lunch, which President Georgi Parvanov gave to the NATO ambassadors to Bulgaria in the Presidency yesterday. PM Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Foreign Minister Solomon Passy also attended the lunch. As the question was posed unofficially, the answer is unofficial too, Passy specified.
CENSUS - ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF POPULATION.
83.9% of People in 2001 Census Identify Themselves as Bulgarians.
Sofia, November 27 (BTA) - According to the data of the 2001 census conducted by the National Statistical Institute (NSI), the largest percentage of people, 83.9%, identified themselves as Bulgarians, Head of the Demographic and Social Statistics Department in the NSI Ivan Balev told a news conference on Wednesday.
The preliminary data of the census put Bulgaria's population at 7,973,673 people, while according to the final results it is 7,928,673. The decrease is due to the negative population growth, expected to stand at 5.8% at the end of the year, and the mortality rate. Bulgaria's population currently stands at 7,891,095 people.
Balev said that for the first time in the 2001 census people gave answers on their free will to the three questions relating to the ethnic composition of the population. The largest percentage of respondents who did not identify their ethnic origin, 6.3%, were in the southern district of Smolyan.
The Bulgarian ethnic group is strong in the districts of Pernik, Western Bulgaria, Sofia and Kyustendil, Southwestern Bulgaria, Vidin, Northwestern Bulgaria. The population of the Bulgarian ethnic group has the largest relative share throughout the 20th century.
Second, but a lot smaller, comes the Turkish ethnic group with 746,664 people, or 9.4% of Bulgaria's population. The Turkish ethnic group increased 1.4 times compared to 1900. The highest concentration of people who identify themselves as belonging to the Turkish ethnic group is in the southern district of Kurdjali, 101,116 people.
The population of the Roma ethnic group grew the most in the past century, by 281,359 people. As at March 2001, Roma in Bulgaria numbered 370,908 people.
The Russian ethnic group has 15,595 people, the Armenian, 10,832, and the Wallachian, 10,566. Those who said in the census they belonged to the Macedonian ethnic group decreased more than twice compared to 1992, and stood at 5,071 people, Balev said. He said there is almost complete correspondence between ethnic group and religious faith.
DANUBE BRIDGE 2-AGREEMENT.
Sofia, November 27 (BTA) - An agreement with the international engineering and management consultant on the project for the construction of a second bridge across the Danube river at Vidin-Calafat was signed here on Wednesday. The contractor is a consortium established by the British companies Scott Wilson Holdings and Flint & Neill Partnership, and Ibernisa SA of Spain.
The document was signed by Dimitris Kourkoulas, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Bulgaria; Martin Edge, a representative of the consortium; and Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Zlatolina Moukova. The Scott Wilson Holdings consortium was chosen by a competitive bidding procedure in accordance with the regulations set out in the European Commission's (EC) Ispa Programme. The consortium won the bidding competing with another five candidates shortlisted from 16 prestigious European companies, Bulgarian Transport and Communications Minister Plamen Petrov said.
The validity of the contract is 60 months and its cost is nearly 5.5 million euros. The EC will finance 85 per cent of the cost through Ispa, the rest will be funded through the national budget, Petrov said.
He emphasized that due to the project's priority, the EC provides 85 per cent of the cost, while the usual financing through Ispa is maximum 75 per cent.
The contractor will have to execute the conceptual design by June 2003, to prepare bidding documents by December 2003, to execute the technical design of the bridge infrastructure on Bulgarian territory and to compile bidding documents for assigning the construction works within the period April-December 2004. The bridge should be opened to traffic in 2006. Its trial use will continue until 2007.
The bridge will be a combined one, with a dual-track railway and two roads with two lanes each in both directions. It will have pedestrian kerbs and a lane for cyclists. The total length of the bridge will be about 1,000 m, excluding the approaches. A new freight railway station will be constructed on the border to be used together by Bulgaria and Romania. The existing railway station at Vidin will undergo reconstruction, Petrov said.
The scheme for financing the bridge project includes a loan of up to 70 million euros from the European Investment Bank; the arrangement for the first tranche of 50 million euros has already been signed and ratified by the Bulgarian Parliament, Petrov said.
The grant aid under EC's Ispa is set at up to 70 million euros, for which Bulgaria is still to apply. The financial package of grant aid and a soft-term 20 million euros intended for construction and 470,000 euros for investigation and construction, provided by the French Government with the assistance of the Stability Pact. The Bulgarian side will contribute25 million euros.
The construction project is expected to create about 1,300 new jobs, Petrov said.
The signing ceremony was attended by ambassadors Constantin-Mihail Grigorie of Romania and Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin of Spain, Government Transport Minister David Jamison of UK, representatives of the Delegation of the European Commission to Bulgaria, of the European Investment Bank, and of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.
BULGARIA-ROMANIA-GASIFICATION.
Silistra, November 27 (BTA) - The Silistra municipality presented before a delegation of the European Union a project for the gasification of the Danubian town of Silistra with Romanian gas via a pipeline crossing the Danube, said Silistra Municipality Deputy Mayor Emil Goichev.
He specified that the project is one of over 20 in the country that apply for funding under the Phare-Transborder Cooperation programme.
An identical project is being drafted for the Romanian towns of Slobosia and Calarasi. They will provide direct gas supplies for Silistra and two nearby villages, following the construction of a pipeline with a branch to Silistra.
The Bulgarian-Romanian project is worth a total of some 11 million euros, of which the Bulgarian works account for 6 million euros.
According to Goichev, the Romanian part of the project will also be presented soon. To be launched, it needs to first secure Brussels' approval. It will then be implemented in two stages over two years.
Some 300 people will be hired for the construction works, and another 50 will service the network once it is put into operation.
The towns' gasification will improve industrial infrastructure within the framework of a common strategy for the development of the two regions, generating economic stability and sustained development.
Village Hotels to be Built With EU Money.
Standartnews
Nevena Mircheva
BG will take 7 million euro to implement eco-tourism projects next year.
The European Commission allots 7 million euro for Bulgaria on projects for ecological tourism in 2003, said Lyubomir Popyordanov, chairman of the Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism (BAAT). The funds will be allocated for the construction of village hotels and villas, aids for craftsmen and tourist sites in the mountains. Finance memo will be signed in December and then the financing schemes will be made public, Economy Ministry's sources elaborated. Some 500,000 euro paid foreign tourists in Bulgarian rural regions in 2002, the BAAT survey specifies.
Tax Officer Brutally Beaten.
Standartnews
Thugs thrash up Nikolay Petkov in front of his house. Security guards will follow auditors, says Minister Petkanov.
Two thugs have brutally beaten with metal rods chief of the "Audits" division of the Central Tax Directorate. A 42-year-old Nikolay Petkov is hospitalized in the Emergency Hospital with a broken right leg and badly injured sinew. The incident occurred in front of his house, the police reported yesterday. The auditor was on his way home at about midnight on Tuesday. On entering the block he was attacked by two men who waited in an ambush. The most probable lead is that the assault results from some actions Petkov had taken as the head of the "Audits" division, said Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov after an urgent meeting with Finance Minister Milen Veltchev. This cruelty makes us feel indignant, acts of violence will not stop us, Veltchev said and added that police must ensure security of the tax authorities. We shall do it, Petkanov promised.
SOFIA-MURDER.
Two Shot Dead Tuesday Night in Sofia.
Sofia, November 27 (BTA) - Two people of Arabian origin were shot dead at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday, BTA learnt. The Interior Ministry press centre confirmed the information.
Libyan-born Feysal Z., 54, and Syrian national Matar R, 48, were found dead in an Opel Vectra in Lozenets district. Sofia's Fourth Regional Police Department in investigating the case.
Pickpockets Clean Sofia.
Standartnews
Some 50 prisoners convicted for robberies and attempts at rape, have been cleaning the streets of Sofia from Monday. They have short sentences and will be released after several months. The new dustmen will get 100 levs for the job. Though they've committed crimes, now they swing the brooms with no guardsmen around.
Bulgaria Doesn't Need New Puppet Cabinet.
INTERVIEW Standartnews: Krassimir Karakatchanov
Constantine Sabtchev
The union between UDF and NMS would be a disaster for both parties. Ungrounded self-confidence of the UDF frustrates the attempts at unification of right-to-center forces, says Krassimir Karakatchanov of IMRO.
On this date in 1919 in the Parisian suburb Neuilly, Prime-Minister Alexander Stamboliiski signed the peace treaty between Bulgaria and the Entente. Under the terms of the Treaty - also called by our contemporaries "dictates" - our country cedes Aegean Thracia and the westernmost frontier regions of Bulgaria. Bulgaria was denied the right to have a regular army, combat aircraft and navy. The reparations Bulgaria has to pay total 2,25 billion French franks. To discuss the new place of Bulgaria on the Balkans and Europe after the invitation for NATO we looked up the leader of Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) Alexander Karakachanov.
- Mr. Karakatchanov, BSP and UDF together asked for a no-confidence vote because of the decision on the nuclear power plant in Kozloduy. Would it be possible that this combined effort grows into lasting cooperation?
- Pro tempore tactical associations between the two parties are quite possible. However, even if we are in for early elections, this political configuration is unthinkable. Bulgaria doesn't need a new
puppet cabinet of the "Berov" type.
- To avoid the early elections some people propose to form a joint cabinet - NMS and UDF. How would you comment on it?
- This will be a catastrophe for both political formations. The NMS will have to pay for all damages done by the Kostov's cabinet, while the UDF will be totally marginalized.
- Don't you think that early elections are looming?
- The developments make me think that there is a chance for early general elections that will precede local ones.
- Who do you think will win?
- I wouldn't dare making prognoses. Regrettably, the right-to-center forces in Bulgaria are too split. And the reason for it is the totally ungrounded super self-confidence of the UDF which insists on taking the leading role by all means.
- The invitation to NATO will mean alliance with our historical foes - Greece and Turkey. You are the leader of a nationalistic organization. How would you comment on it?
- As the English saying goes, there are no permanent foes or friends, only permanent interests. Yes, the current situation makes Greece and Turkey our allies, but I don't think that this will put at risk our national interests. On the contrary - as an ally of these countries within NATO Bulgaria will be able to resolve the problems we had in the past.
(Abr.)
Prodi: EU enlargement must stop somewhere.
EuObserver.com
Turkey is not ready for EU membership, and Russia is too large, while Georgia and New Zealand are too far away, according to EU Commission President Romano Prodi who wonders why there is no debate on where the EU is going to stop enlargement. Partnership is the alternative for the Union's neighbours, he says.
In an interview with the Danish paper, Jyllands-Posten, Mr Prodi says that he wants a debate on where the Union's border should be. While being very much in favour of the forthcoming enlargement, he does not want the EU just to continue to expand infinitely.
"We must have an open debate on where the EU's borders are to be. Europe cannot just be a lump of jelly without definite borders. How could we strenghten the EU's insititutions, if there is no clear notion of the EU's borders?" he asks in the Jyllands-Posten interview.
EU is not a Christian club.
According to Mr Prodi, Turkey may become an EU member when it has complied with all conditions for accession. The EU is not a Christian club, he says, but he does, however, warn against a continued enlargement of the Union.
Concerning Russia, he says to Jyllands-Posten: "I said to Putin: Well, yes, you are European, even if you are looking Eastwards, but you are too big for the EU'."
Asked about countries like Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan - countries that feel that they are European, Mr Prodi says: "People in New Zealand also feel that they are European. That is the problem. We cannot limit ourselves to considering the historical roots. We also have to give a natural size to the EU."
According to the Commission president the alternative for the immediate neighbours of the Union should be a special partnership agreement.
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