Government of Bulgaria

The law proposed by the Bulgarian government on Tuesday, was adopted on a first reading with the support of 132 out of 140 lawmakers on Wednesday.

It allows the state electric company NEC to receive state aid in the form of an interest free loan and to use it to pay off its debts to Russia's state nuclear company Atomstroyexport.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is set to meet members of the expat community in New York on the first day of his visit to the United States, his press office says.

ABV's leader and former President described the head of state Rossen Plevneliev as obedient to GERB, a person emitting provocative signals in the foreign policy of the country and a risk element in the security of the country.

After UNESCO Director Irina Bokova came only fifth in the fourth ballot for a new UN Secretary-General, reports are rife that Bulgaria may replace her with the European Commission Vice-President, Kristalina Georgieva.

However, Bulgaria's deputy-premier and Minister of Interior, Rumyana Bachvarova, dismissed this on Monday.

Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova has said she has no information about intentions of the cabinet to replace its nomination of UNESCO head Irina Bokova for the office of UN Secretary General.

Bachvarova, however, has stopped short of denying the reports.

Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev has said the state intends on retaining the ownership of the existing gas infrastructure despite offering a joint venture for the so-called Balkan Gas Hub project.

Some 50% of the new company's shares will be put up for sale. The new entity will be a subsidiary of Bulgartransgaz, the state-owned gas grid operator.

EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Canete, will pay a two-day visit to Bulgarian on Thursday and Friday.

In about two months Bulgaria will have a wire fence built along 146 km of the country's border with Turkey, preventing illegal migration flow, Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova has said.

Bachvarova, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev on Saturday inspected the entire length of the fence built so far along Bulgaria's border with Turkey. 

Two members of the Council for Electronic Media (CEM), the broadcast media watchdog of Bulgaria, have been elected by Parliament, local media report.

No debates have been held prior to the election.

The two members, Sofiya Vladimirova and Rozita Mihaylova-Elenova, were proposed by the biggest party GERB and the Bulgarian Democratic Center (BDC) respectively.

Incumbent Bulgarian Vice President Margarita Popova is considering the option of running for president in the forthcoming elections which are scheduled to take place in the autumn.