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Bulgaria soccer star Dimitar Berbatov has written in his new blog how much he appreciates the support of his fans, and how proud he is when they enjoy his success. The Bulgarian national tem captain caused controversy only a week ago, when he published his first blog entry, entitled "Haters". Now, he has explained that the entries are part of a trilogy, with the second piece entitled "Friends and Supporters". ...

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has asked the leadership of the European People's Party to lobby in Brussels for the allocation of EU funds. This was announced by Borisov himself Tuesday night during a news conference together with the Chair of the EPP Wilfried Martens and the Secretary-General of the EPP Antonio Lopez. Borisov has commented that his GERB party has received solidarity and support from the EPP....

The European People's Party has no criticism for the Bulgarian government of PM Boyko Borisov, according to its Chair, Wilfried Martens. Martens was in Sofia Tuesday night for the presentation of his book, "Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome". "After eight years of liberal and socialist experiments, Bulgaria finally has a strong and reliable government....

The executive branch rather than the President should be in control of Bulgaria's intelligence services, according to Defense Minister Anyu Angelov. Speaking Tuesday evening, Angelov has made it clear he was expressing his personal opinion. He said the issue is yet to be discussed. ...

Four Bulgarian wine cellars have won top awards at the annual VINARIA International Exhibition held in the south central city of Plovdiv. The VINARIA International Exhibition of Vine-Growing and Wine Producing, now in its 18th year, opened on Sunday and continues until Wednesday. Almost 600 wines and 63 rakia samples were entered into the 2010 exhibition. ...

A couple of hundred military officers gathered Tuesday night for a silent protest in downtown Plovdiv. They protested against the idea of the Finance Ministry to make all state employees pay their own health insurance fees. Currently, these fees are assumed by the state. ...

The construction of the second metro line in the Bulgarian capital Sofia has been stopped over the discovery of a unique archaeology site. On Monday the builders came across a medieval church located in the very downtown of Sofia, next to the Tzum retail center. This led to a temporary termination of the construction work. ...

By Ivan Krastev Presseurop Long-standing members against new ones, irresponsible states against virtuous states, tolerance of the EU against excessive demands: the crisis over the single currency has revealed a new faultline within the union, according to the Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev. ...

The anti-corruption watchdog at the Bulgarian Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) is going to question the magistrate from the Supreme Administrative Court, Panayot Genkov, over alleged ties with the underworld. The questioning comes on the heels of media reports that Genkov had been seen sharing a table in a popular Sofia restaurant with Angel Hristov better known as one of the notorious Galevi brothers. VSS further published the official rebuttal of Genkov, who says he had been in the same restaurant with Hristov, but was never on the same table and does not personally know him. ...

Bulgaria's Minister of Agriculture has ordered the National Veterinary Service to monitor an outbreak of avian flu in neighboring Romania. Minister Miroslav Naydenov has announced that the National Veterinary & Medical Service (NVMS) will tighten controls at its regional centers, and will take all measures necessary to monitor and limit the spread of the virus. The veterinarians have also been alerted to the risk of transmission across to Bulgaria by migratory and wild birds. ...

The term "Turkish Yoke" stirred controversy between Bulgarian and Turkish servicemen from the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Major Daniela Blagoeva, reportedly made a presentation dedicated to Bulgaria's Liberaton Day, which had been deemed offensive by Turkish army officers. Blagoeva had posted the presentation on the ISAF intranet in Kabul with text talking about the Turkish Yoke instead of the politically correct Ottoman Rule. ...

Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) are taking the side of President, Georgi Parvanov, in the controversy with the cabinet. According to DPS, Parvanov had not violated the Constitution by publishing a transcript from his conversation with Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, without the latter's knowledge. The ethnic Turks are of the opinion the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party has no legal basis to start the impeachment procedure they want. ...

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) reacted swiftly Thursday to the stated intentions of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, to involve the Prosecutor's Office in probing the funds spent on the NPP Belene project so far. BSP issued a declaration stating nuclear energy in Bulgaria has no other alternative than the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Danube town of Belene and every attempt to stop or freeze the project equals national treason. The Socialists accuse the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party cabinet in renewed attempts to divert the public attention from the country's real problems by setting off media bombs that are nothing more than lies. ...

Bulgaria's Parliamentary Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva, who is on an official visit to Moscow, has stated that Bulgaria has not discussed whether it should join the proposed US missile shield. Tsacheva was responding to a question posed by her Russian counterpart, Boris Gryzlov, as the Russian lower house of parliament, the Duma, discussed the new strategic arms treaty (START). The Duma Speaker has announced that it might block the treaty unless it was linked to missile defense. ...

Bulgaria prosecutors have completed a comprehensive investigation into the death of Ahmed Emin, and have found no evidence of foul play. Alexander Nalbantov, head of the Sofia Regional Prosecutor's Office has announced on Tuesday that the three prosecutors appointed to the investigation had thoroughly carried out all the required legal procedures. They had concluded, after a full analysis, that there was no evidence to support the suggestion that Emin might have been pushed to commit suicide. ...

The US manufacturer of virtualization software, VMware, is significantly increasing the number of employees in his Bulgarian office, the company informs, cited by pari.bg. VMware has expanded its business in Sofia with the opening of a new office for an estimated 400 employees....

The estate of Michael Jackson has agreed the biggest recording deal in history, worth more than USD 200 M with Sony Music, US reports say. The deal reportedly involves 10 album projects over seven years - including one of previously unreleased material, the BBC stated. The singer died at his Los Angeles home in June, aged 50....

A loan of EUR 250 M from BNP Paribas destined for Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Plant has been spent on other projects. This was announced by Bogomil Manchev, Manager of "Risk Engineering", which one of the consultants of the Belene NPP project, as cited by the BTA news agency. According to Mancher, Bulgaria's National Electric Company NEK did not borrow the money specifically for the Belene plant, and much of it was spend on the hydro power plant project "Tsankov Kamak" in Southern Bulgaria. ...

Serbian firm Delta Holding, the majority owners of the Bulgarian retail chain Piccadilly, will invest EUR 80 M in Bulgaria this year. Delta is set to invest in the expansion of its retail network and open the first Tempo hypermarket in Bulgaria later in 2010. Serbia's largest privately-held company bought a majority stake in Bulgarian retail chain Piccadilly in September 2007 and has so far invested a total of EUR 140 M in Bulgaria, including taking over the remaining 15% percent of shares in 2009. ...

Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marin Raykov, has reported on the successful outcome of talks to boost the countries ties with Vietnam. Raykov, on an official visit to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, has agreed with his counterpart, Vguyen Thanh Son, that the two countries will continue to develop their relations, especially in the areas of economics and commerce. Their talks on Tuesday concerned the implementation of bilateral agreements reached during Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov's visit to Hanoi in January 2009. ...

The Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament from all political groups decided to request a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood, Stefan Fule, regarding Spaska Mitrova's case. The information was reported by the Socialist MEPs press center. The Bulgarian MEPs intend to discuss violations of civil rights of people with Bulgarian self-awareness by authorities in Macedonia....

The vast majority of Bulgarians are against the proliferation of genetically modified organism (GMOs) in the country according to a recent survey. The National Center for Study of Public Opinion (NCSPO) survey showed that 97% of Bulgarians believe Bulgaria should continue to support a complete ban on GMOs while 93% support the current ban on growing genetically modified tobacco, rose oil, vine, wheat, fruits and vegetables. The survey also suggested that Bulgarians believe it is important for the Bulgarian government to stand up to the EU on the issue. ...

Bulgaria's Vice President, Angel Marin, has forecast that the motion by the ruling majority to impeach President Georgi Parvanov will not come to an end. "I am working on real, not on imaginary things. The issue of my taking over the President's position is not on the agenda, and will hardly happen," Marin declared in Veliko Tarnovo on Tuesday. ...

Everything that has been done so far regarding the project to build a second Bulgarian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Danube town of Belene must be verified as far as profitability and from a legal stand point. The statement was made by Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, Tuesday during his visit to the Belene site. The PM stressed Bulgaria had exceptional experts currently involved with the other Danube NPP Kozloduy that can provide sound assessment and that the Prosecutor's Office might get involved. ...

The Human Rights Report of the US State Department on Bulgaria has been prepared in a well-intentioned tone, according to the Foreign Ministry. Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Vesela Cherneva has stated Tuesday that the Report has accounted for the measures undertaken by the new government in order to tackle corruption and organized crime. She said the report noted a plan of 59 measures of the Borisov government to fight corruption, the cracking down on the "Impudent" kidnappers' gang, and progress in combating human trafficking. ...

Roughly one in five Bulgarians is over the age of 65, making Bulgaria the country with the most aging population in the EU, World Bank representative Florian Fichtl reported. Fichtl, the permanent representative for the WB in Bulgaria, spoke at a conference in Sofia to mark the 10th anniversary of the start of pension reform in the country. According to him the pension reforms should proceed with decisions that provide adequate pensions to people, but without risking macroeconomic stability. ...

The newest Bulgarian shopping mall, "Serdika Center", was formally opened in Sofia Tuesday. Serdika Center is located on the Sitnyakovo Blvd. It has 210 stores with a commercial space of over 51 000 square meters on three levels, and office space of some 30 000 square meters. ...

National Statistical Institute data has shown that 238 000 Bulgarians were registerted as unemployed in 2009. From the 3,441 million economically active people in Bulgaria only 3,204 million 15-64 year olds were registered as having work in 2009 Of the total number of unemployed 130 100 (54....

Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has warned that the next few weeks will see his government being "uncompromising against people in power." Borisov, speaking at the opening of an international conference devoted to European best practices to combat corruption, revealed that a report showed BGN 222 M was spent on 22 km on a single-lane road during the previous government's reign, while BGN 300 M was spent on the whole Burgas highway - an example he said of extreme corruption. ...

Bulgaria and Azerbaijan are discussing the possibility of creating a compressed natural gas processing plant in Georgia so as to ship the final product to Bulgaria and Romania. This was revealed by Azeri oil expert Ilham Shaban for 'Nezasimaya Gazeta'. He said that an Azerbaijan-Bulgaria working group is discussing a number of possibilities for supplying Bulgaria with natural gas. ...

Bulgaria Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, has announced that around EUR 600 M has been spent so far on the site of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant. Traikov said Tuesday that "the money has been accounted for, but nothing has been done. He added that these funds are now irretrievably lost and thus can not be used for what was planned. ...

Bulgaria's Euro 2012 qualifying fixtures will be decided by a random draw after the nations in Group G failed to agree on acceptable dates. At a near five-hour meeting England, Wales, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Switzerland failed to reach an agreement. "We were close to achieving the most important principles of our strategy for the program....

A 2,8 magnitude earthquake was registered Tuesday morning in North Central Bulgaria with its epicenter South of the Danube city of Ruse. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that the quake shook the area at 07:25 Tuesday morning. The epicenter of the quake was 79km South of Ruse, 3km East of Antonovo at a depth of 2km. ...

Bulgaria Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov has stated that the official crackdown on driving test corruption will be successful. Tsvetkov, speaking on bTV Tuesday, said that 15-20 000 driving licenses are currently sold every year for a minimum price of BGN 300. He added that "not even the most tentative attempt to stop the black market in driving licenses was made in the last 4-5 years....

Europe's finance ministers have agreed how to help Greece in its battle to control its finances. After a meeting in Brussels, they revealed few details, except that they had ruled out any loan guarantees, the BBC reported. For weeks, the financial markets had wondered if the EU's promised support for Greece would ever be forthcoming. ...

A new nuance has been added to the row between the Bulgarian President and Cabinet in the midst of the motion to impeach the former. The new issue concerns the investigation of the so called "oligarchs" in Bulgaria, and was provoked by Friday's statement of the Bulgarian President, Georgi Parvanov. Parvanov talked about oligarchs who became rich during Bulgaria's post-communist transition by taking advantage of the murky times. ...

Bulgaria's economic recovery will start in April 2010, according to Tsvetan Simeonov, Chair of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "Bulgaria's economy has seen harder times. If the GERB party lives up to its campaign promises - not to increase taxes, to reduce the administration - we are not going to be in the situation of some of the neighboring states," Simeonov told Pro....

Most Bulgarians do no react strongly to the motion of the ruling majority to impeach President Georgi Parvanov, according to a recent poll. A survey of the MBMD agency has shown that almost 30% are strongly opposed to the motion, while 15,2% are strongly in favor. Another 21,4% would rather be against the impeachment of Parvanov, while another 19% would rather support it. ...

Bulgaria's Cabinet is trying hastily to come up with a way to collect state revenue, according to former PM and Socialist leader Sergey Stanishev. Stanishev commented Monday night on the idea of the Borisov government to make state employees pay their own health insurance fees in order to generate more money for the National Healthcare Fund. He presided an outsourced meeting of the Executive Bureau of the Bulgarian Socialist Party in the Danube city of Silistra, Darik Radio reported. ...

Bulgaria and Russia are adding a second ship to the Varna-Port Kavkaz ferry line in the Black Sea starting April 2010. The ferry line connecting Bulgaria's Varna and Russia's Port Kavkaz was launched in May 2009. It shortens the land trading route between the two countries by 800 km, and reduces the time needed to transport cargo between them by 40%. ...

Bulgaria is weakening its chances for joining the bloc's exchange-rate mechanism, the so-called Eurozone waiting room, and can adopt the single currency no earlier than 2015, an analyst says. "Bulgaria may easily slide into a trend of piling up deficit in the budget, which will increase the risks that it faces and impact negatively the level of the banks' interest rates," Bozhidar Danev, Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) Chairman, told Darik radio. Asked about the possible repeat of the Greek crisis in Bulgaria Danev said a critical point will be reached if the budget deficit exceeds 6 percent. ...

Tourism developed significantly in Bulgaria during the last years, while in Romania it doesn't really attract foreign investors, German tourism operator TUI manager for Marocco, Romania and Bulgaria Detlev Hohne told Deutsche Welle. He considers Romania's tourism development to be seven to eight years behind Bulgaria. "Bulgaria made significant progress during the privatising process, but unfortunately Romania fails to attract foreign investors....

Bulgaria's government Falcon airplane will be sent to repatriate Filip Filev, an Interior Ministry official, who has been taken ill in India. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has ordered the mercy mission, to transport Filev from a hospital in the Indian capital, New Delhi, back to Bulgaria. All costs will be met by the Council of Ministers, according to the government press office. ...

The European Commission is ready to propose a bloc-wide financial assistance framework to Greece, which will be used when deemed necessary, European Union Commissioner for Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said Monday. "The commission is ready to develop a proposal for a European framework of coordinated assistance," Rehn said at the monthly meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, noting that there is a need to preserve financial stability in the euro zone as a whole. "Greece is on track to meet the 4% target of deficit reduction this year," Rehn said, adding that he expect euro-zone finance ministers to agree with this assessment at their Monday meeting. ...

Bulgaria's Museum Gallery of Modern Art (MGMI) will present to the public the archetypal pop art symbol - a series of images of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol. The gallery announced on Monday that, from Monday, March 22 - the first day of Spring - Bulgarian art-lovers will be able to view together all 10 images of the pop icon. The work "Marilyn", by one of the founders of pop art, Andy Warhol, is the expression of the artist's discovery that that one and the same image in different colors has a completely different impact on the viewer. ...

Macedonia will not be able to count on Bulgarian support unless it fixes its judicial system, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov declared regarding the "Spaska Mitrova" case. The Macedonian mother with Bulgarian passport Spaska Mitrova lost the custody of her baby girl to her former Macedonian husband after a ruling of the Macedonian Court in the town of Gevgelia. In 2009, Spaska Mitrova spent several months in a Macedonian jail after she was sentenced in a dispute with her husband....

Brussels is interested in Bulgaria's bigger issues, and the potential impeachment of the President is an internal matter, EU Commissioner Kristalina Goergieva told Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency). After her meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in Sofia Monday, Georgieva has lunch with the Ambassadors of the EU member states in Sofia organized by the Spanish EU Presidency, and hosted by the Spanish Ambassador, Jorge Fuentes. ...

Cabletel, one of Bulgaria's largest cable TV operators, is putting a spoke in the wheel of the sale of Bulgaria's first national private television bTV to CEM, reports say. The conflict dates back from a few months ago and concerns Cabletel refusal to air bTV recently launched theme channels without an increase in the subscription fees. The media wants its two theme channels - bTV Cinema and bTV Comedy - to be aired free of charge for the subscribes, but the cable operator says this is impossible due to the high price that bTV wants to charge. ...

Bulgaria's EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, who is in charge of the EC humanitarian aid portfolio, has answered questions of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and a couple of Bulgarian-language media before she joined the Ambassadors of the EU member states in Sofia for a special lunch organized by the Spanish Embassy in Sofia as part of the program of the Spanish EU Presidency.* ...

The Management of the Sofia Airport Center, a project of Tishman International and GE Real Estate, has presented the first building in Bulgaria to be LEED certificed. A presentation by Tishman International highlighted the new building development at Sofia Airport Center, the international business park now under development in the Bulgarian capital. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized certification scheme of "green" buildings. ...

Aleksei Petrov, who is behind bars awaiting trial on multiple charges, and who has been labeled as a DANS spy, is not and never was a secret agent. Georgi Kolev, Chair of the Sofia City Court (SCC), has announced this conclusion in a court report covering the past year. Under Bulgarian law, every agent must enter into an agreement with the prosecutors' office, which defines the criminal acts that may be committed during any mission, for which the agent would not be held legally liable. ...

A higher level of GMOs than the allowed limit was found in 7% of the food products tested by the Sofia public health body RIOKOZ in 2009. A high content of GMOs was found predominantly in sausages, wafers and confectionery products. In most cases, the GMO content in these products was over 2% and the limit value in Bulgaria is 0,9%. ...

Dozens of owners of Bulgarian small enterprises took to the street on Monday in protest against a controversial regulation that subjects them to double taxation, a requirement that they deem detrimental. The protesters carried banners, reading: "Stop the genocide against Bulgaria's business" ,"Make reforms, not tax hikes", "We thank Minister Djankov for killing us so that we may not suffer during the crisis." ...

The first group of foreign tourists for the 2010 summer season were welcomed Monday at the airport in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna. With a charter flight of Bulgaria Air, the Kur-Club tour operator brought 164 German tourists from Frankfurt and Duesseldorf to the Bulgarian seaside. The Germans are going to spend three weeks in the top Bulgaria sea resorts of Golden Sands and Sunny beach. ...

The European Commission's interim report in connection with mechanisms for collaboration and control of internal affairs and justice systems in Bulgaria and Romania will be approved and issued next week, a spokesman officially announced. Speaking at a press conference on Monday Mark Gray, a spokesman for the European Commission, stressed that the reports will feature facts, not political assessments for the justice and interior affairs sectors of the two countries. This will be the first European Commission report to assess the measures undertaken by Bulgaria's new center-right government, which swept the elections in July and made an attempt to shake off the country's reputation for rampant graft and crime. ...

The Bulgarian Parliament will vote on Thursday on the appointment of a new position, that of Minister for EU Funds, and for other structural changes in the government. Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov has formally announced the plans on Monday, at a joint press conference with Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. The proposal to appoint an EU funding minister was first floated publicly over one week ago....

Digital entertainment services company RealNetworks Inc has deployed its Real platform on the Mobiltel Bulgaria network to provide the mobile operators 5.4m subscribers with a flexible platform for downloading music onto their mobile device, the company announced. The deployment is part of a four year agreement with Mobilkom Austria Group (MAG), the third under the agreement. ...

Bulgaria Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has stated that for him the conflict with President Georgi Parvanov ended when he sent Finance Minister Simeon Djankov to his office 10 days ago. "For me this topic was closed when I sent the Deputy Prime Minister (Djankov) to the Presidency to close this page and do not spend more nerves. From now on everyone is responsible for their own actions....

Schemes for Russia's funding for the planned 2,000 megawatt Belene nuclear plant on the Danube River will be prepared by the end of April, the country's energy minister has announced. "We are convinced that the Belene project, which is today a leader in the construction of a new generation of nuclear power plants will find a strategic investor," Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said on Monday at his meeting with the Bulgarian Parliamentary Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva. Russia proposed last month to extend EUR 2 B of funding to Bulgaria for the construction of the stalled project until Sofia finds a strategic investor, even without corporate or state guarantees....

Sixty-nine suspected Georgian mafia members have been arrested in a co-ordinated operation across Europe. Twenty-four of them were detained in Spain, mainly in Barcelona and Valencia, as part of Operation Java, Spanish police said, cited by the BBC. The arrests are the result of a year-long investigation initiated by Spanish police. ...

Bulgarian politician Rumen Petkov, previously the country's Interior Minister under the Stanishev government, has spoken out on the possibility of the formation of a new left-wing Bulgarian political party. Petkov expressed the opinion that, while there was certainly room for such a project, nothing "serious" would take place without the support and participation of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). Commenting in a newspaper article on Monday, Petkov, who also served as the Deputy Chair of BSP, said that the Socialists would not take a negative stance on the eventual formation of a new party, but he emphasized that, at the same time, the first task of BSP was to take further "organizational steps for its stabilization". ...

Close to BGN 1,8 M has been collected by the National Revenue Agency (NAP) office in Plovdiv after a campaign to retrieve unpaid Value Added Tax (V.A.T). ...

Russia's energy minister has ruled out the combination of the rivaling gas pipeline projects in southern Europe, South Stream and Nabucco, in a bid to cut costs. "We are not considering the idea at all. The South Stream project has been approved at different levels and we do hope that a project company with Bulgaria will be set up soon," Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said on Monday at his meeting with the Bulgarian Parliamentary Speaker Tsetska Tsacheva. ...

Bulgaria's center-right government will present a program with anti-crisis measures in the next ten days, including the listing of minority shares in state-owned companies on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange. This was announced by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov at a press conference on Monday. The bourse privatization will be carried out by a state-owned consolidation company....

Bulgaria's center-right government has dropped plans for a heath tax hike, which was approved last week amid doctors' walkouts and in a bid to raise additional funds to support the ailing system. "The health tax will remain at 8% by the end of the year," Finance Minister Simeon Djankov announced at a press conference on Monday, adding that the government is expected to back the alternative solution, which would make state officials, who are currently making no health insurance installments, dip deeper into their pockets. The cabinet of the ruling GERB party approved last Wednesday a 2 percentage-point rise in health insurance levies to 10 percent of an individual's income, effective from April. ...

Some 31 800 travelers flew from Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, to London, the most preferred destination, in February - an increase of 1 800 persons compared with January, 2010. Sofia International Airport has, however, reported that the number of passengers who used the airport has remained almost static for three years, at 233 164. The statistics for February 2010 record a 1,7% increase in the number of flights handled, to a monthly total of 3 399 planes in and out of the airport. ...

Bulgaria captain and Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov has backed the Red Devils to take the English Premiership title. Berbatov, speaking after scoring in United's 3:0 thumping of Fulham on Sunday, said that "there can only be one winner and I think it is going to be us." ...

The Milan-based international company Mapei has announced plans for building a new plant for dry construction mixtures in Bulgaria as part of its expansion here. Mapei acquired from Orgachim, a Bulgarian company specializing in the manufacture of varnishes and paints, more than 15 000 square meters in area at the end of December last year in a EUR 3,6 M deal. "Within a few months, we will build a new plant, whose production will target the Bulgarian and Romanian market," Plamen Petrov, Mapei representative for Bulgaria said, as cited by local Standart daily. ...

Sofia City Court has again postponed proceedings in the trial of Mario Nikolov and Lyudmil Stoykov, charged with document fraud and misuse of SAPARD funds. The new postponement was decreed on Monday, after one of the jurors was revealed to have been sent on a working trip by the Interior Ministry until March 19. Snezha Proynova, who works for the Sofia Interior Ministry, was sent on the trip by an order from Interior Chief Secretary Kalin Georgiev. ...

Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, has stated that Bulgaria President Georgi Parvanov's Friday press conference has only strengthened GERB's push for his impeachment. Tsvetanov, speaking on BNT Monday, said that Parvanov's press conference had strengthened the governing center-right GERB party's call for his impeachment. He also added that any rumors that he would run to be Bulgaria's next President were "frivolous". ...

Top US actor Ron Perlman has joined the cast of Conan just before the start of shooting in Bulgaria this week, according to reports. Conan, of course, will by no means be new territory for Perlman who in the last three years has also starred in In the Name of the King, Hellboy 2, Outlander, The Mutant Chronicles and Season of the Witch. According to reports Perlman saved the day after Mickey Rourke eventually turned down his role in the movie. ...

From quadnews.net By David Hartman ...

Indian drug makers 'Elder Pharmaceuticals' has announced that it will increase its stake in Bulgarian subsidiary 'Elder Biomeda' to 61% for USD 12 M. Elder Pharmaceuticals currently holds 51% in Elder Biomeda but the Mumbai based firm will now increase its board presence to five seats from the earlier two in the seven-member board, giving a complete control of the company. It will also appoint a new CEO. ...

Russian police have busted an international crime group involved in bank card fraud, 2 Bulgarians were amongst those arrested. The Russian newspaper 'Komersant' reported Monday that Bulgarian citizens Georgi Georgiev and Vladimir Staynov were arrested and some of their other colleagues were still being traced. Police in St....

Business

Four Bulgarian wine cellars have won top awards at the annual VINARIA International Exhibition held in the south central city of Plovdiv. The VINARIA International Exhibition of Vine-Growing and Wine Producing, now in its 18th year, opened on Sunday and continues until Wednesday. Almost 600 wines and 63 rakia samples were entered into the 2010 exhibition. ...

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) reacted swiftly Thursday to the stated intentions of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, to involve the Prosecutor's Office in probing the funds spent on the NPP Belene project so far. BSP issued a declaration stating nuclear energy in Bulgaria has no other alternative than the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Danube town of Belene and every attempt to stop or freeze the project equals national treason. The Socialists accuse the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party cabinet in renewed attempts to divert the public attention from the country's real problems by setting off media bombs that are nothing more than lies. ...

The US manufacturer of virtualization software, VMware, is significantly increasing the number of employees in his Bulgarian office, the company informs, cited by pari.bg. VMware has expanded its business in Sofia with the opening of a new office for an estimated 400 employees....

A loan of EUR 250 M from BNP Paribas destined for Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Plant has been spent on other projects. This was announced by Bogomil Manchev, Manager of "Risk Engineering", which one of the consultants of the Belene NPP project, as cited by the BTA news agency. According to Mancher, Bulgaria's National Electric Company NEK did not borrow the money specifically for the Belene plant, and much of it was spend on the hydro power plant project "Tsankov Kamak" in Southern Bulgaria. ...

Serbian firm Delta Holding, the majority owners of the Bulgarian retail chain Piccadilly, will invest EUR 80 M in Bulgaria this year. Delta is set to invest in the expansion of its retail network and open the first Tempo hypermarket in Bulgaria later in 2010. Serbia's largest privately-held company bought a majority stake in Bulgarian retail chain Piccadilly in September 2007 and has so far invested a total of EUR 140 M in Bulgaria, including taking over the remaining 15% percent of shares in 2009. ...

Everything that has been done so far regarding the project to build a second Bulgarian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Danube town of Belene must be verified as far as profitability and from a legal stand point. The statement was made by Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, Tuesday during his visit to the Belene site. The PM stressed Bulgaria had exceptional experts currently involved with the other Danube NPP Kozloduy that can provide sound assessment and that the Prosecutor's Office might get involved. ...

The newest Bulgarian shopping mall, "Serdika Center", was formally opened in Sofia Tuesday. Serdika Center is located on the Sitnyakovo Blvd. It has 210 stores with a commercial space of over 51 000 square meters on three levels, and office space of some 30 000 square meters. ...

Bulgaria and Azerbaijan are discussing the possibility of creating a compressed natural gas processing plant in Georgia so as to ship the final product to Bulgaria and Romania. This was revealed by Azeri oil expert Ilham Shaban for 'Nezasimaya Gazeta'. He said that an Azerbaijan-Bulgaria working group is discussing a number of possibilities for supplying Bulgaria with natural gas. ...

Bulgaria Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, has announced that around EUR 600 M has been spent so far on the site of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant. Traikov said Tuesday that "the money has been accounted for, but nothing has been done. He added that these funds are now irretrievably lost and thus can not be used for what was planned. ...

Bulgaria's economic recovery will start in April 2010, according to Tsvetan Simeonov, Chair of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "Bulgaria's economy has seen harder times. If the GERB party lives up to its campaign promises - not to increase taxes, to reduce the administration - we are not going to be in the situation of some of the neighboring states," Simeonov told Pro....

Politics

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has asked the leadership of the European People's Party to lobby in Brussels for the allocation of EU funds. This was announced by Borisov himself Tuesday night during a news conference together with the Chair of the EPP Wilfried Martens and the Secretary-General of the EPP Antonio Lopez. Borisov has commented that his GERB party has received solidarity and support from the EPP....

The European People's Party has no criticism for the Bulgarian government of PM Boyko Borisov, according to its Chair, Wilfried Martens. Martens was in Sofia Tuesday night for the presentation of his book, "Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome". "After eight years of liberal and socialist experiments, Bulgaria finally has a strong and reliable government....

The executive branch rather than the President should be in control of Bulgaria's intelligence services, according to Defense Minister Anyu Angelov. Speaking Tuesday evening, Angelov has made it clear he was expressing his personal opinion. He said the issue is yet to be discussed. ...

A couple of hundred military officers gathered Tuesday night for a silent protest in downtown Plovdiv. They protested against the idea of the Finance Ministry to make all state employees pay their own health insurance fees. Currently, these fees are assumed by the state. ...

The term "Turkish Yoke" stirred controversy between Bulgarian and Turkish servicemen from the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Major Daniela Blagoeva, reportedly made a presentation dedicated to Bulgaria's Liberaton Day, which had been deemed offensive by Turkish army officers. Blagoeva had posted the presentation on the ISAF intranet in Kabul with text talking about the Turkish Yoke instead of the politically correct Ottoman Rule. ...

Bulgaria's ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) are taking the side of President, Georgi Parvanov, in the controversy with the cabinet. According to DPS, Parvanov had not violated the Constitution by publishing a transcript from his conversation with Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, without the latter's knowledge. The ethnic Turks are of the opinion the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party has no legal basis to start the impeachment procedure they want. ...

Bulgaria's Parliamentary Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva, who is on an official visit to Moscow, has stated that Bulgaria has not discussed whether it should join the proposed US missile shield. Tsacheva was responding to a question posed by her Russian counterpart, Boris Gryzlov, as the Russian lower house of parliament, the Duma, discussed the new strategic arms treaty (START). The Duma Speaker has announced that it might block the treaty unless it was linked to missile defense. ...

Bulgaria prosecutors have completed a comprehensive investigation into the death of Ahmed Emin, and have found no evidence of foul play. Alexander Nalbantov, head of the Sofia Regional Prosecutor's Office has announced on Tuesday that the three prosecutors appointed to the investigation had thoroughly carried out all the required legal procedures. They had concluded, after a full analysis, that there was no evidence to support the suggestion that Emin might have been pushed to commit suicide. ...

Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marin Raykov, has reported on the successful outcome of talks to boost the countries ties with Vietnam. Raykov, on an official visit to the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, has agreed with his counterpart, Vguyen Thanh Son, that the two countries will continue to develop their relations, especially in the areas of economics and commerce. Their talks on Tuesday concerned the implementation of bilateral agreements reached during Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov's visit to Hanoi in January 2009. ...

The Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament from all political groups decided to request a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood, Stefan Fule, regarding Spaska Mitrova's case. The information was reported by the Socialist MEPs press center. The Bulgarian MEPs intend to discuss violations of civil rights of people with Bulgarian self-awareness by authorities in Macedonia....

Bulgaria in EU

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, has asked the leadership of the European People's Party to lobby in Brussels for the allocation of EU funds. This was announced by Borisov himself Tuesday night during a news conference together with the Chair of the EPP Wilfried Martens and the Secretary-General of the EPP Antonio Lopez. Borisov has commented that his GERB party has received solidarity and support from the EPP....

The European People's Party has no criticism for the Bulgarian government of PM Boyko Borisov, according to its Chair, Wilfried Martens. Martens was in Sofia Tuesday night for the presentation of his book, "Europe: I Struggle, I Overcome". "After eight years of liberal and socialist experiments, Bulgaria finally has a strong and reliable government....

The Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament from all political groups decided to request a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood, Stefan Fule, regarding Spaska Mitrova's case. The information was reported by the Socialist MEPs press center. The Bulgarian MEPs intend to discuss violations of civil rights of people with Bulgarian self-awareness by authorities in Macedonia....

Europe's finance ministers have agreed how to help Greece in its battle to control its finances. After a meeting in Brussels, they revealed few details, except that they had ruled out any loan guarantees, the BBC reported. For weeks, the financial markets had wondered if the EU's promised support for Greece would ever be forthcoming. ...

The European Commission is ready to propose a bloc-wide financial assistance framework to Greece, which will be used when deemed necessary, European Union Commissioner for Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said Monday. "The commission is ready to develop a proposal for a European framework of coordinated assistance," Rehn said at the monthly meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels, noting that there is a need to preserve financial stability in the euro zone as a whole. "Greece is on track to meet the 4% target of deficit reduction this year," Rehn said, adding that he expect euro-zone finance ministers to agree with this assessment at their Monday meeting. ...

Brussels is interested in Bulgaria's bigger issues, and the potential impeachment of the President is an internal matter, EU Commissioner Kristalina Goergieva told Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency). After her meeting with Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in Sofia Monday, Georgieva has lunch with the Ambassadors of the EU member states in Sofia organized by the Spanish EU Presidency, and hosted by the Spanish Ambassador, Jorge Fuentes. ...

The European Commission's interim report in connection with mechanisms for collaboration and control of internal affairs and justice systems in Bulgaria and Romania will be approved and issued next week, a spokesman officially announced. Speaking at a press conference on Monday Mark Gray, a spokesman for the European Commission, stressed that the reports will feature facts, not political assessments for the justice and interior affairs sectors of the two countries. This will be the first European Commission report to assess the measures undertaken by Bulgaria's new center-right government, which swept the elections in July and made an attempt to shake off the country's reputation for rampant graft and crime. ...

The Bulgarian Parliament will vote on Thursday on the appointment of a new position, that of Minister for EU Funds, and for other structural changes in the government. Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov has formally announced the plans on Monday, at a joint press conference with Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. The proposal to appoint an EU funding minister was first floated publicly over one week ago....

Bulgarians lack sufficient confidence and faith in themselves, according to Bulgaria's EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva. Georgia, who is the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, sought to clear up all doubts that her portfolio was not prestigious enough, speaking on Nova TV Sunday. She has pointed out that immediately after taking office she had been faced with enormous challenges over the situation in Haiti and Chile as the two Latin American nations were struck by horrendous earthquakes. ...

Serbia is going to take part in the upcoming EU-Balkans meeting only if Kosovo is represented by the UNMIK administration, Serbian President Boris Tadic warned. Tadic spoke in the Serbian city of Novi Sad after a meeting with Hungary's President. He declared that the Serbia's integrity could not be compromised on international forums. ...

Lifestyle

The construction of the second metro line in the Bulgarian capital Sofia has been stopped over the discovery of a unique archaeology site. On Monday the builders came across a medieval church located in the very downtown of Sofia, next to the Tzum retail center. This led to a temporary termination of the construction work. ...

The anti-corruption watchdog at the Bulgarian Supreme Judicial Council (VSS) is going to question the magistrate from the Supreme Administrative Court, Panayot Genkov, over alleged ties with the underworld. The questioning comes on the heels of media reports that Genkov had been seen sharing a table in a popular Sofia restaurant with Angel Hristov better known as one of the notorious Galevi brothers. VSS further published the official rebuttal of Genkov, who says he had been in the same restaurant with Hristov, but was never on the same table and does not personally know him. ...

Bulgaria's Minister of Agriculture has ordered the National Veterinary Service to monitor an outbreak of avian flu in neighboring Romania. Minister Miroslav Naydenov has announced that the National Veterinary & Medical Service (NVMS) will tighten controls at its regional centers, and will take all measures necessary to monitor and limit the spread of the virus. The veterinarians have also been alerted to the risk of transmission across to Bulgaria by migratory and wild birds. ...

The vast majority of Bulgarians are against the proliferation of genetically modified organism (GMOs) in the country according to a recent survey. The National Center for Study of Public Opinion (NCSPO) survey showed that 97% of Bulgarians believe Bulgaria should continue to support a complete ban on GMOs while 93% support the current ban on growing genetically modified tobacco, rose oil, vine, wheat, fruits and vegetables. The survey also suggested that Bulgarians believe it is important for the Bulgarian government to stand up to the EU on the issue. ...

Roughly one in five Bulgarians is over the age of 65, making Bulgaria the country with the most aging population in the EU, World Bank representative Florian Fichtl reported. Fichtl, the permanent representative for the WB in Bulgaria, spoke at a conference in Sofia to mark the 10th anniversary of the start of pension reform in the country. According to him the pension reforms should proceed with decisions that provide adequate pensions to people, but without risking macroeconomic stability. ...

National Statistical Institute data has shown that 238 000 Bulgarians were registerted as unemployed in 2009. From the 3,441 million economically active people in Bulgaria only 3,204 million 15-64 year olds were registered as having work in 2009 Of the total number of unemployed 130 100 (54....

A 2,8 magnitude earthquake was registered Tuesday morning in North Central Bulgaria with its epicenter South of the Danube city of Ruse. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that the quake shook the area at 07:25 Tuesday morning. The epicenter of the quake was 79km South of Ruse, 3km East of Antonovo at a depth of 2km. ...

Bulgaria Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov has stated that the official crackdown on driving test corruption will be successful. Tsvetkov, speaking on bTV Tuesday, said that 15-20 000 driving licenses are currently sold every year for a minimum price of BGN 300. He added that "not even the most tentative attempt to stop the black market in driving licenses was made in the last 4-5 years....

Most Bulgarians do no react strongly to the motion of the ruling majority to impeach President Georgi Parvanov, according to a recent poll. A survey of the MBMD agency has shown that almost 30% are strongly opposed to the motion, while 15,2% are strongly in favor. Another 21,4% would rather be against the impeachment of Parvanov, while another 19% would rather support it. ...

A higher level of GMOs than the allowed limit was found in 7% of the food products tested by the Sofia public health body RIOKOZ in 2009. A high content of GMOs was found predominantly in sausages, wafers and confectionery products. In most cases, the GMO content in these products was over 2% and the limit value in Bulgaria is 0,9%. ...

Sports

Bulgaria soccer star Dimitar Berbatov has written in his new blog how much he appreciates the support of his fans, and how proud he is when they enjoy his success. The Bulgarian national tem captain caused controversy only a week ago, when he published his first blog entry, entitled "Haters". Now, he has explained that the entries are part of a trilogy, with the second piece entitled "Friends and Supporters". ...

Bulgaria's Euro 2012 qualifying fixtures will be decided by a random draw after the nations in Group G failed to agree on acceptable dates. At a near five-hour meeting England, Wales, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Switzerland failed to reach an agreement. "We were close to achieving the most important principles of our strategy for the program....

Bulgaria captain and Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov has backed the Red Devils to take the English Premiership title. Berbatov, speaking after scoring in United's 3:0 thumping of Fulham on Sunday, said that "there can only be one winner and I think it is going to be us." ...

Manchester United have defeated 3:0 Fulham eight rounds before the end of England's Premier League. After missing several opportunities throughout the match, Bulgaria's striker Dimitar Berbatov scored the third goal in the 89th minute by heading the ball. This is his tenth goal with United for the season. ...

Slovakia’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Karol Mistrik, has triumphed in the contest for the Ski Cup of Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov. A total of 34 foreign diplomats, including the Ambassadors of Austria, Germany, Japan, Slovakia, and Ukraine, and two Bulgarian Ministers – Economy Minister Traikov and Regional Development Minister Plevneliev – participated in the contest. Ambassador Mistrik won the Transitional Cup of the Foreign Minister by achieving the best time on the 600 m-track in the Bulgarian mountain resort of Bansko in the contest which took place Saturday. ...

Bulgarian track and field short-distance runner, Vania Stambolova, won the bronze in the 400-meter run at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha. Stambolova's result of 51.50 seconds ranked her third, after Russia's Tatyana Firova, who took silver in a personal best time of 51....

Bulgaria star Krassimir Balakov and ex German international Fredi Bobic starred in the 'Burgas for Haiti' charity soccer match on Wednesday. Balakov, the current manager of Chernomorets Burgas and Bobic (current Director of Chernomorets) followed their guest appearances in the March 7 charity match against Haiti in Germany, with another aid-targeted game to help with the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake. 'Stars of Balakov' won 12:5 against 'the Lords of Football', with Balakov scoring 1 and Bobic shooting in a quick hat-trick....

Bulgarian PR experts have labeled the blogging debut of Manchester United and Bulgaria star Dimitar Berbatov as a "mistake". Berbatov opened his new blog on Monday with an entry titled 'Haters', which targets his many critics at home in Bulgaria, who criticize his play and especially his performances for the national team. He ended his blog with the words "I am very high to be able to see you....

Bulgarian soccer coach Hristo Stoichkov has renewed his attacks on the South Africa team selector, Carlos Alberto Parreira. Stoichkov had already strongly criticized Parreira in February, accusing him of arranging long training camps, which had committed Stoichkov's Sundawns team players "for more than a month". "My players go to a one-month camp with the national team and return in worse shape....

England Captain Rio Ferdinand has backed Mancester United teammate and Bulgaria star Dimitar Berbatov to finish the 'Italian Job' by scoring against AC Milan in the Champions League. Ferdinand lauded Berbatov's performance against Wolves in the 0-1 United victory on Saturday; ""I wasn't surprised by his work-rate against Wolves. To be honest, if you look at the statistics you'll see that he's one of the hardest runners in our team....