Focus

There are good neighborly relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Bulgaria was the first to recognize North Macedonia as an independent state and is a strong supporter of the Europeanization of the whole region, especially as regards the process of rapprochement of North Macedonia with the EU.

The demolition of the illegal residential buildings in Garmen has now been completed, as reported by Focus information agency.

A total of four buildings have been removed from the site out of all 124. They were all demolished using a bulldozer and the Roma people in the neighborhood tore down another house by themselves.

The campaign on the harvesting of the rose flowers has began in the region of Kazanlak, which is known as the Rose Valley of Bulgaria.

The producers are expecting a poorer harvest than last year's one, but a higher purchase prices for a kilogram of rose flower.

Former Energy Minister Delyan Dobrev has proposed a 10-fold increase in the minimum fine for power distributors failing to observe the 31-day metering deadline.

The deadline for the completion of construction works at Lot 2 of the Struma motorway is October 2015, according to Bulgarian Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova.

On Sunday, Pavlova conducted a sudden inspection of the progress of the 38km motorway section connecting Dupnitsa and Blagoevgrad.

Burgas District Governor Pavel Marinov has informed that a total of over BGN 13 M is necessary to cover flood damage in the region.

Marinov, as cited by the Focus news agency, explained Friday that the damage to the road infrastructure caused during the period of torrential rains in end-October amounted to BGN 5.4 M, while the other damage had been estimated at BGN 7.9 M.

Bulgaria's ski resort Bansko is ready for the ski season and officially opens it on December 13, said the town mayor Georgi Ikonomov, quoted by the Focus agency.

"We are working on the water treatment system and hopefully will manage to asphalt the streets before the tourists arrive," the mayor said.

A state of emergency has been declared in Bulgaria's Black Sea city of Burgas due to the potentially dangerous weather, Saturday.

The construction of the third metro line in Bulgaria's Sofia could be delayed over appeals lodged against a decision of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Sofia chief architect Petar Dikov said.

Municipal councilors and a banking officer have been arrested in a specialized operation of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) in the southern town of Brezovo.

Radnyo Manolov, Mayor of the Brezovo Municipality, explained that the special operation had been conducted on Tuesday evening.