International relations

Unemployment in Bulgaria reached 12.9% in 2013.

Data by the National Statistical Institute cited by the website Expert.bg suggests it is up 0.6% compared to the previous year.

The number of Bulgarians currently out of work amounts to 436 000, with 250 000 (or 57.4%) permanently looking for a job.

The Greek Manpower Organization (OAED) announced on Monday the launch of a subsidized program for businesses to hire a total of 10,000 unemployed Greeks.

OAED said that companies would be able to submit their applications from March 21. The program, which runs to 54 million euros, is co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Three new water reservoirs will be built on Bulgarian territory before 2017, Finance Minister Petar Chobanov announced on Monday.

It is estimated that construction will be worth BGN 147 M, Bulgarian website Standart News has reported, citing Minister of Regional Development Desislava Terzieva.

Voting has began in a referendum on whether Venice and its surrounding region should secede from the rest of Italy, Sunday.

Recent opinion polls suggest that two-thirds of the four million electorate favour splitting from Rome in an attempt to restore its 1,000-year history as a sovereign republic. However, the vote will not be legally binding, the BBC News reports.

BELGRADE - New Democratic Party (NDS) leader Boris Tadic has said that he expects the people to vote for political change.

"Unless there is a comlpete change, we will lag behind economically, which will have consequences throughout the decade ahead of us," said Tadic, who is Serbia's former president and the top candidate on the NDS slate.

ZAGREB - A court in Malta has decided to extradite to Croatia Serb Gojko Eror, a construction worker suspected of crimes against humanity, abduction, torture and illegal imprisonment.

A new post stamp on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the Republic of China was validated, Friday.

Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin has reiterated Bulgaria's support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Speaking Friday in Parliament, he noted that Bulgaria backed the efforts to find a peaceful solution of the crisis in compliance with the principles of international law.

As the country gears up for the start of two election campaigns later this month, for both general and presidential elections, Macedonia's institutions say they are ready for the nationwide operation.

Central bank sells EUR 40 million

BELGRADE -- The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) sold EUR 40 million on the foreign exchange market on Thursday.

This kept the exchange rate at RSD 115.9574 for EUR 1 for the fifteenth day in a row on Friday.