Bulgaria

Transit permits expected to help Turkey and Bulgaria

A new liberalised transit permit regime between Bulgaria and Turkey should help businesses and develop the economy in both countries, officials and business owners say.

New liberalised traffic rules between Bulgaria and Turkey are expected to take effect in April. [Gabriel Petrescu/SETimes]

Bulgaria, Serbia improving military co-operation

Joint training operations and preparation for multi-national exercises are the focal points of military co-operation between Bulgaria and Serbia.

Bulgaria soldiers are working with troops from Serbia on joint exercises and co-operation. [AFP]

The European Union will grant Bulgaria EUR 127M for the establishment of e-governance in the next EU programming period 2014-2020.

The funds will be provided under the new Good Governance operational program, Standard daily reports.

The New Europe Bridge, previously known as the Danube Bridge 2, has increased commodity turnover between Bulgaria and Romania.

Bilateral trade between the two countries now exceeds EUR 3B. Romanian export to Bulgaria grew by 9%, and Bulgarian export increased by 6%, Romanian Embassy counselor Victor Dediu revealed Thursday, Bulgarian Standard News reports.

Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin’s trip to Ukraine on Tuesday has sparked controversy among MPs, with MPs from the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party and the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms expressing shock.

The MPs said they did not understand whether it was Bulgaria’s position or his own stance on the Ukrainian crisis that the minister was representing.

The National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) has demanded that 2-3% of the personal income tax be redirected to local authorities.

Todor Popov, Chair of NAMRB, explained Thursday that the measure would bring an additional BGN 500 – 600 M into the budget of the local authorities.

The U.S. guided-missile destroyer Truxtun is bound for the Black Sea for military exercises with Bulgarian and Romanian naval forces. 

According to the US military publication Stars and Stripes, the ship departed from Greece early Thursday and its visit is unrelated to the current events in Ukraine. 

Russia's state-run nuclear corporation Rosatom has said it is prepared to use new supply routes and alternative transportation methods to bring nuclear fuel to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria's former EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev was appointed EU elections 2014 list leader of center-right opposition GERB party.

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister and GERB leader Boyko Borisov announced the news in front of Bulgarian journalists in Dublin.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski believes that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should have a leading role in the solution of Ukraine's financial problems.

Oresharski told journalists in Brussels that the EUR 11 B financial package proposed by the EU was sufficient at this stage.