Latest News from Bulgaria
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry Dismisses Permanent Secretary
Interim Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov has dismissed his institution's Permanent Secretary, Georgi Dimitrov, the ministry's press office says.
Bulgarian President 'to Call Parliament Parties' for Consultations Next Week
President Rosen Plevneliev is to have talks with the eight parties that entered the legislature as early as October 15, or next Wednesday, Presidency sources say.
A date for the first session of Parliament is to be set during the meeting.
Reformists Ready to Support Coalition with GERB 'Under Certain Conditions'
Bulgaria needs a coalition cabinet based on a written agreement and not the minority government that GERB proposes, a Reformist Bloc member said on Friday.
A minority cabinet, what virtually was "the one of [former PM] Plamen Oresharski," will be "unsuccessful" in times of crisis, Former Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) Chairman Martin Dimitrov told the Bulgarian National Television.
Bulgaria’s Caretaker Deputy PM Demands Road Toll System
Ekaterina Zaharieva, Bulgaria's caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development and Investment Planning, has underscored the need to introduce a road toll system.
Zaharieva told journalists Thursday that a road toll system would guarantee adequate levy rates for the vehicles inflicting the highest degree of road damage, including as trucks and heavy machines.
Bulgaria Inks Kozloduy NPP Unit 5 Life Extension Deal with Russian-French Consortium
The life of unit 5 of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant may be extended by up to 60 years, according to a media statement of the N-plant.
Russia Condemns 'Inadmissible Rhetoric' of Bulgarian President
Russia's Foreign Ministry has expressed serious concern about claims of Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev that Russia is an aggressive and nationalist country.
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Gazprom Announces 47% Price Spike for South Stream Gas Pipeline
Alexander Ivannikov, First Deputy Head of the Department for Finance & Economics at Gazprom, has announced a major spike in the cost of the South Stream gas pipeline.
Frankfurter Rundschau: PM Borisov, the Bull of Bulgaria
German daily newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau has published an article on the situation in Bulgaria after the early elections on October 15.
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Donations for reconstruction of water management facilities
BELGRADE - The governments of Algeria, Indonesia, Albania and Bulgaria have approved funds totalling around RSD 79 million for projects aimed at reconstructing the water management facilities in Serbia in the wake of the May floods.
CEC Publishes Official Results Of Bulgaria's Early Elections
Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission released the official final results of the country's early elections.
According to them, the party with most seats is the centre-right GERB. It got 1 072 491, or 32.67% of the votes and 84 seats in Parliament. Its supporters cast 11 923 invalid ballots.
Investment in defense industry Serbia's strategic interest
BELGRADE - OTEH 2014, an international scientific and technical conference dedicated to the development of defense technologies, opened in Belgrade on Thursday, and Serbia's Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic said that investment in the defense industry and armed forces is Serbia's strategic interest.
Bulgarian Emigrants Send To Relatives BGN 2.3 B Per Year
Bulgarian emigrants send to relatives in Bulgaria more than BGN 2.3 B per year, shows 2013 data of the World Bank, quoted by Irena Zareva of the Institute for Economic Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAN).
According to Zareva, quoted by Pariteni.bg, in 2013 the sum is estimated at BGN 3.4 B.
Tens Of Illegal Immigrants Apprehended In Sofia
Tens of illegal immigrants were apprehended by the police in Bulgaria's Sofia in the past several days, reports the Bulgarian National Radio.
Most often they were abandoned by human traffickers in the Druzhba district of Sofia, or close to the exit of the Trakia highway.
The 95% Rule, Bulgaria and the NYT
Recent reportage in the New York Times reminded me of my 95% Rule: "95% of what you read about economics and finance is either wrong or irrelevant". In her piece on the Bulgarian elections, Mariana Ionova wrote:
"Its [Bulgaria's] economy is growing at an annual rate of about 1.6 percent, but that is the slowest pace in the union, and about half the European average."
IMF Downgrades Montenegro’s Growth Forecast
The IMF has lowered its prediction of growth in Montenegrin GDP from 2.8 per cent to 2.3 per cent amid concerns of the impact of the eurozone crisis and sluggish demand for goods and services.