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Post by TsarSamuil on Apr 29, 2010 18:26:50 GMT -5
Bulgaria, Albania, FYROM, Italy Throw Weight behind Corridor VIII. Novinite.com Diplomacy | April 29, 2010, Thursday Bulgaria, Albania, Macedonia, and Italy have attended a conference entitled “Corridor VIII – Bridge between the Adriatic and the Black Sea”. The forum in Tirana was opened by Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha on Thursday. Bulgaria is represented by Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov. Tsvetkov presented before the forum participants the development of the infrastructure of the Bulgarian section of Pan-European Transport Corridor VIII, which is supposed to connect the Bulgarian Black Sea ports with the Adriatic ports in Italy. Its proper functioning is expected to facilitate trade between Central Asia and the Far East on the one hand, and Western Europe on the other. The Corridor VIII forum was attended by the transport ministers of all four states located along the respective route as well as by representatives of the international financial institutions.  Pan-European Transport Corridor VIII is supposed to connect the Black Sea and the Adriatic. Map by secretariat-corridor8.it |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Apr 29, 2010 19:15:05 GMT -5
Belgian parliament bans full Islamic veils.
Belgium is set to become Europe's first country to ban women from covering their face in public as the lower chamber of parliament approved the bill, Al-Jazeera said on Friday.
A total of 134 lawmakers voted in favor of the ban, with two abstentions. No lawmakers voted against.
Under the new law, women are prohibited from wearing full-face Islamic garments, such as burqa or niqab in streets, parks, sports grounds and buildings "meant for public use or to provide services."
The offender will face a fine of 15-25 euro ($28-$47) and possibly a prison term of up to seven days.
The ban was imposed on the grounds that the wearer of the veil is not fully identifiable and therefore could be a threat to public security. Supporters of the law believe that the new law will be of use in the fight against terrorism and also give more rights to Muslim women.
Daniel Bacquelaine, who heads the liberal MR party in the parliament, said the law was "not about introducing any form of discrimination," except for cases when such clothing was "aimed at stopping people from being identified."
The ban is nothing new in the country, where municipal authorities in several cities have already introduced a similar ban on the local level.
Numerous European Union countries are likely to follow suit.
Last week French President Nicholas Sarkozy submitted a similar bill to the country's parliament. Under the law, immigrants who fail to follow the law, might be denied their citizenship. Austria is also considering a nationwide prohibition.
A veil ban has been introduced in some municipalities in The Netherlands and Italy.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 1, 2010 13:29:45 GMT -5
What a joke, it's not even recognized by the UN and what a naive view of the region.. as for the missiles, then Mladenov would have no problem buying s-300 n be part of the common shield envisioned with Russia? I wonder..
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Bulgaria to Lobby for Serbia, Kosovo Membership in EU, NATO.
Novinite.com
Diplomacy | May 1, 2010, Saturday
Bulgaria's government intends to support the EU and NATO candidacy of Serbia and Kosovo, said the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov.
During his lecture at the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies, Minister Mladenov pointed out that one of the main tasks of the Bulgarian government is “to help other countries become members of EU and NATO,” BGNES reports.
Bulgaria's top diplomat explained that “the Bulgarian Cabinet cooperates closely with Serbia to help it overcome the difficult period it is going through and achieve peace with Kosovo.”
Minister Mladenov was quick to note that Kosovo too “is a country in a very difficult situation,” adding that “Kosovars need to be assisted into establishing state institutions in Pristina that will work to secure peace between the ethnic Albanians and the Serbians that live there.”
Bulgaria's Foreign Minister commented on the recent agreement between Russia and Ukraine to leave Russian Black Sea Fleet at the Crimean port by saying that there should be military balance in the Black Sea region. “The Balck sea coastline belongs not only to Russia or Ukraine but also to Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Georgia,” said Mladenov in front of his audience at the Washington Center.
Mladenov concluded by saying that “Russians must participate in resolving all security issues within the Black Sea region and the Russian republic should considered a friend and a partner. Russians, on the other hand, must understand that establishing anti-missile bases in Bulgaria is not an action against them but one aimed at securing peace,” added Mladenov.
Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikolay Mladenov is on a 7-day officail visit in USA (April 28 – May 4).
During his official visit, Minister Mladenov held talks with James Jones, United States National Security Advisor, focusing on problems of the Western Balkans, the joint military operations in Afghanistan and the new NATO strategy.
With Ellen Tauscher, the US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, Mladenov discussed Bulgaria’s inclusion in the US defense shield in Europe and issues related to nuclear security. Both sides have expressed desire to continue and deepen the dialogue about the shield, both bilaterally and within NATO.
Energy topics were the main items on the agenda of the meeting with Sen. Richard Lugar, who pointed out the EU-backed gas line “Nabucco” is Bulgaria’s best option as far as energy security is concerned.
Lugar also spoke about his intentions to encourage the US government to work on a coherent strategy for anti-missile defense in Europe, especially in the southeastern part of the old continent over its proximity to the Middle East.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 1, 2010 13:32:57 GMT -5
Finance Minister: Bulgaria, Macedonia Must Boost Exchange.
Novinite.com
Finance | April 30, 2010, Friday
Bulgaria and Macedonia have to focus on intensifying exchange of expertise and information with respect to finances and economic growth measures, Finance Minister Djankov said in Ohrid.
“We can guarantee the sustainable economic development of the Balkans only with joint efforts,” said Simeon Djankov after meeting his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Stavreski.
Djankov was a special guest Friday of the 11th annual conference of the Macedonian stock exchange in the town of Ohrid.
The two Deputy PMs and Finance Ministers agreed to coordinate their efforts with respect to the measures to overcome stagnation in the region.
They evaluated highly the cooperation between the revenue administrations of the two countries pointing out that only 55 customs violations were registered since 2009 on the Bulgarian-Macedonian border, and these were mostly smuggling of small quantities of cigarettes from Macedonia.
Djankov has pointed out that Bulgaria is among the leading foreign investors in Macedonia but that the bilateral trade had to be stimulated further. He confirmed Bulgaria’s support for Macedonia’s EU integration.
The two Finance Ministers agreed that a Bulgarian business delegation led by Djankov and Economy Minister Traikov will visit Macedonia in the summer, and that Zoran Stavreski will bring a Macedonian business delegation to Bulgaria in the fall. The head of Bulgaria’s National Revenue Agency, Krasimir Stefanov, is scheduled to pay a visit to Macedonia in mid May.
During the 11th annual conference of the Macedonian stock exchange, Bulgaria’s Finance Minister spoke about the condition of the capital market in Bulgaria, and presented to the participants in the forum the opportunities for financial cooperation in Southeast Europe.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 7, 2010 10:14:01 GMT -5
Bulgarian FM to visit Belgrade.
7 May 2010 | 09:27 | Source: Tanjug
BELGRADE -- Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov will visit Belgrade, it was announced today.
He will meet with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić and Chairman of the parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Dragoljub Mićunović.
Mladenov is also planned to meet with Dimitrovgrad Mayor Veselin Veličkov and representatives of the Bulgarian ethnic minority in Serbia.
Mladenov's Balkan tour started with a visit to Macedonia.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 9, 2010 14:04:57 GMT -5
Bulgaria Minister: Friendship Treaty Will Help Macedonia EU Bid.
Novinite.com
Diplomacy | May 8, 2010, Saturday
Bulgaria Foreign Affairs Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, has said that the ‘Friendship Treaty’ was offered to Macedonia to help speed up the country’s accession to the EU.
Mladenov, speaking on BNR Saturday during his tour of the Balkans, said that Bulgaria had reached out its hand to Macedonia with a desire to work together and to be a good example of neighborly relations in the region.
Mladenov added; “the treaty is not a condition for Macedonian membership of the EU but it may help them.” He continued that EU negotiations had not yet started with Macedonia mainly because of their name dispute with Greece.
Regarding Serbia, Mladenov said that it is not certain whether the EU will offer them membership this year and he also pushed Belgrade to recognize Kosovo and continue internal reforms in their bid to join the bloc.
In February 2010, after information was leaked to the Macedonian media, the Bulgarian government confirmed that a Friendship Treaty had been offered to Macedonia back in 2008.
Political circles in Skopje put forth the notion that Bulgaria was setting conditions on Macedonia with respect to its EU and NATO integration, similarly to Greece, which has blocked FYROM’s accession to the organizations because of the notorious name dispute between the two countries.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 9, 2010 14:16:28 GMT -5
Bulgaria Opens Culture Center in Belgrade.
Belgrade, Krassimira Temelkova, reporter of the Standart
A Bulgarian cultural center will open doors in Belgrade soon. This became clear after a meeting between Bulgaria’s foreign minister, Nikolay Mladenov, and his Serbian counterpart Vuk Jeremic in Belgrade. The center will be housed in the building of the former Bulgarian trade representation in Belgrade. Serbia was the second stop in Mladenov’s Balkan tour.
“My visits to Belgrade and Skopje were successful,” Minister Mladenov was laconic.
"Bulgaria’s long-term strategy involves all Balkan countries joining the European Union and every attempt to find an alternative to Serbia or Macedonia’s European future will prove devastating not only for the particular country, but to the whole region, as well,” Mladenov said.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 9, 2010 14:50:38 GMT -5
Merkel gets Germany to sign the 'fattest cheque in history'
Independent.co.uk
By Tony Paterson in Berlin
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Chancellor Angela Merkel won approval for Germany's controversial ˆ22.4bn (£19.3bn) bailout for Greece yesterday despite huge public opposition to the rescue and a savaging by her political opponents in a furious parliamentary debate.
The bailout, dubbed the "fattest cheque in history" by the German press, was passed by 390 votes to 72 but only after 139 abstentions from opposition Social Democrat MPs who insisted that taxpayers were contributing too much to the package. However, an embattled Ms Merkel defended the rescue, saying that the credibility and future of both the European Union and the euro depended on it. "If we don't work together in such times of crisis, the markets will think we are unable to act," the Chancellor insisted.
Public opposition to the bailout could undermine the chances of Ms Merkel's conservatives winning a key regional election in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia tomorrow. Defeat for her party in what is Germany's most populous state would deprive her coalition of its majority in the country's upper house and could force an early general election.
Opinion polls have suggested that up to 80 per cent of Germans are opposed to the Greek bailout. Since the crisis began, Greece has been widely depicted in the German media as a corrupt nation which cheated its way into the euro zone.
Sigmar Gabriel, the Social Democrat leader, accused Ms Merkel of having "managed the crisis miserably". Other members of his party claimed that because of her delay in offering immediate financial support to Greece, she had ignited a financial "bush fire" that had spread across Europe.
The Social Democrats abstained from the voting after Ms Merkel's coalition of conservatives and liberals rejected demands for greater controls on the markets. The deputy leader of Germany's Left Party described market speculators as "Taliban in pinstriped suits" during yesterday's debate.
Yesterday Franz Jaeger, a leading Swiss economist, argued in the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper that Greece had to be ejected from the euro zone in order to save the currency's future.
The paper noted that only weeks ago Ms Merkel had argued in similar vein. "There is nothing of the Iron Lady left now," it remarked.
Five German Eurosceptics, including renowned economist Joachim Starbatty, said they were taking the government to the constitutional court over the package, claiming that it was in breach of EU and German laws.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 9, 2010 15:02:08 GMT -5
WTF?? Poland is the christian Saudi-Arabia? Knew they were a bit nuts, but this? ------------- Pop star claims Bible written by drunks. One of Poland's most famous and controversial pop stars faces two years in jail after suggesting that the Bible was written by drunks and people with a fondness for "herbal cigarettes". Telegraph.co.uk Matthew Day in Warsaw Published: 2:17PM BST 05 May 2010  Dorota Rabczewska, famed for an unabashed attitude when it comes to flaunting her flesh, and a string of hits, has been charged by Warsaw prosecutors with insulting religious feeling for comments she made in a television interview a year ago. Better known by her stage name Doda, the 26-year-old singer ruffled conservative sentiment in Catholic Poland by explaining that she believed more in dinosaurs than the Bible because "it is hard to believe in something written by people who drank too much wine and smoked herbal cigarettes." This prompted furious Catholic groups to lodge complaints with the prosecutor's office. "It is clear that Doda thinks that the Bible was written by drunkards and junkies," said Ryszard Nowak, chairman of the Committee for the Defence Against Sects, an organisation dedicated to protecting Christian values. "I believe that she committed a crime and offended the religious feelings of both Christians and Jews." If found guilty the pop star faces a two-year jail sentence or a hefty fine under Polish blasphemy laws. |
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Post by morana on May 10, 2010 0:49:48 GMT -5
Minister Mladenov said "Kosovo is a country..."  ? Of course it is a country, SERBIA is the name of that country. Coming from Bulgarians that comment is nothing new...they keep proving their position to Serbs.... |
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Post by morana on May 10, 2010 0:54:01 GMT -5
Inquisition in Poland!!! In year 2010!! WTF is wrong with Poles? I guess what has always been wrong with them - their child molesting, Roman-Catholic Church. That should not surprise anyone-Poland has a rather LONG history of Nazi priests, Nazi Pope, Nazi bishops, ....
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 10, 2010 6:40:39 GMT -5
.........  ....... Russia, Turkey becoming strategic partners - Medvedev. Russia and Turkey are becoming strategic partners, President Dmitry Medvedev said shortly before his visit to Ankara, due May 11-12. "June 3 will see 90 years since the day diplomatic relations between our countries were established, and my visit will take place shortly before that remarkable date," Medvedev said in an article for Turkish newspaper Zaman. "First of all, we can say with conviction that Russian-Turkish ties are reaching the level of full-scale strategic partnership," the Russian leader said, adding that a declaration signed by the two presidents in Moscow in February 2009 testified to that. He also said Russia sees Turkey as a "good and reliable neighbor with whom we are happy to jointly build plans to further strengthen cooperation for the good of our countries' peoples." Medvedev said the two countries should aim at increasing bilateral trade three- to fivefold during the next five years, not only at the expense of raw materials but also through cooperation in hi-tech fields and mutual investment. He said the key direction of cooperation is the fuel and energy sector. "There are a number of priority landmark joint projects in the field: the construction of the South Stream and Blue Stream-2 gas pipelines, the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the construction of a nuclear power plant by Russia on the territory of the Turkish Republic," Medvedev said. MOSCOW, May 10 (RIA Novosti) |
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 10, 2010 10:42:34 GMT -5
NICE! Just came across this vid, brings together various film capturing Bulgarian forces vs Ottoman dogs, the first scene was nice, allout attack! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfksRDH7wrc |
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 11, 2010 9:04:13 GMT -5
Montenegro Opens Up Possibilities for Bulgarian Business.
Podgorica
Krassimira Temelkova
Correspondent of The Standart
New possibilities are opening up before Bulgarian business in Montenegro.
"Currently Montenegro has been carrying out huge infrastructure projects and I am sure that Bulgarian companies would be interested to take part in them," Montenegro's foreign minister Milan Rocen stated after his meeting with Bulgaria's minister of foreign affairs Nikolay Mladenov.
Yesterday Nikolay Mladenov visited Montenegro, which is the third stop of his Balkan tour after Macedonia and Serbia. Nikolay Mladenov and Milan Rocen agreed that the two countries have maintained good political cooperation within the 114 years of diplomatic relations. However, the economic relations between Bulgaria and Montenegro need to be stimulated. Nikolay Mladenov is the first Bulgarian foreign minister to visit Montenegro after it declared independence and complimented the country on its EU and NATO orientation. Podgorica hopes to get the status of candidate-member for the EU in 2011. Bulgaria's foreign minister also had a meeting with Montenegrin president Filip Vujanovic and PM Milo Djukanovic.
Today Nikolay Mladenov's Balkan tour will continue in Kosovo.
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Post by TsarSamuil on May 11, 2010 9:24:00 GMT -5
Ivanovic: Serbia to join EU with constitutional borders.
11:44 BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - Serbia will join the EU with the borders defined in its Constitution and before the Kosovo issue is resolved, believes State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic. In an interview with Tanjug, Ivanovic pointed out that it is important that Serbia meet all membership requirements.
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? Of course it is a country, SERBIA is the name of that country. Coming from Bulgarians that comment is nothing new...they keep proving their position to Serbs.... 