Latest News from Bulgaria

NATO to boost eastern defences after Russian 'aggression'

NATO was set Feb. 5 to agree a major boost to its defences including six bases in eastern Europe and a spearhead force of 5,000 troops in response to what it called Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Rural Development Program 2014-2020 to Be Launched in March - Agriculture Minister

The Rural Development Program 2014-2020 will be launched in end-March 2015, according to Bulgaria's Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva.

Chevron Still Weighing Shale Gase Options in Romania

US energy giant Chevron has yet to complete an assessment of Romania's natural gas potential from shale, and for the moment the company is not leaving Romania as it did other Eastern European countries.

Domestic A Group Players Dominate National Football Team's Lineup

For the first time in many years Bulgaria's national football team will be made up almost entirely of players competing for clubs from the domestic A Group.

This became evident after the Bulgarian Football Union (BFS) released on Wednesday the final list of players that are to appear in the friendly game against Romania on February 7.

3.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Tvarditsa Region in Central Bulgaria

An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale was registered Thursday morning in the region of Tvarditsa, central Bulgaria, according to seismologists at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS).

Bulgaria to Host EU 'Secretive Ministerial Meeting' on Energy Next Week

The EU's energy ministers are to meet in Bulgaria's capital Sofia on February 9 for a meeting run by Commission Vice-President Maro? ?ef?ovi?, media reports suggest.

Only EU member states will be part of the meeting though a recreation of the energy landscape in Southeast Europe in general will apparently be on the agenda, according to Brussels-based website EurActiv.

Nikolay Mladenov to Be Appointed UN Middle East Envoy - UN Diplomats

The United Nations Security Council has approved the appointment of Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov as UN envoy in the Middle East.

Mladenov will replace Dutch diplomat Robert Serry, according to sources close to the matter, as cited by the The Washington Post and the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.

Mladenov has been UN envoy in Iraq since 2013.

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council Mulls Short-Term Reform Measures

Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) is to discuss short-term measures for the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission in the sphere of judicial reform.

Despite the differences in the interpretation of the latest monitoring report of the EC on Bulgaria, most commentators agreed that the VSS had scored worst.

Bulgaria's Govt Allocates State Guarantee of BGN 1 M for Exhibition at the Louvre

Bulgaria's government has adopted a decision for a state guarantee worth BGN 1 M for the Bulgarian exhibition at the Louvre in April 2015.

The allocation of a state guarantee for such purposes is common practice within the EU, according to the Bulgarian government.

Bulgaria's Govt Transfers Ownership of Ruse Airport to Municipality

The ownership of the Ruse Airport has been officially transferred to Bulgaria's Ruse Municipality.

Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski and the Mayor of the Ruse Municipality, Plamen Stoilov, signed Wednesday a contract on the free-of-charge transfer of 100% of the assets of Ruse Airport EOOD to the Ruse Municipality, according to the press office of the Bulgarian government.

InvestBulgaria Agency Declares Devnya Cement Investor of the Year for 2014

Devnya Cement has won the Investor of the Year award for 2014 of the InvestBulgaria Agency.

The official award ceremony was held Wednesday at Sofia Hotel Balkan.

The organizers of the event handed out awards for the most significant investment projects implemented in 2014 in Bulgaria.
The annual award ceremony was held for the ninth consecutive year.