From: marinova@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Dora Marinova)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bulgaria
Subject: RFE/RL Daily Report
Date: 24 Dec 1992 00:03:02 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au

BULGARIA TO RESTRICT CIS VISITORS. The acting Bulgarian government
decided on 21 December to impose travel restrictions on visitors
from the Commonwealth of Independent States, BTA and Reuters
report.  From the beginning of next year, when entering Bulgaria
CIS citizens will need a formal invitation from their hosts, a
return ticket, and the equivalent of $40 for each day of their
planned stay.  Exceptions will only be made for business travel
and charter tourism.  The measure comes less than two weeks before
the CIS states are expected to lift visa restrictions for its own
citizens, an act which is likely to boost travel.  In the eastern
parts of Bulgaria, local authorities have recently complained that
CIS citizens are responsible for the spread of organized crime and
illegal peddling. (Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL, Inc.)
BULGARIA HURT BY SANCTIONS. While Bulgaria continues to support
the trade sanctions imposed upon rump Yugoslavia, adherence to the
UN enforced embargo is costing Bulgaria the equivalent of $1.2
billion according to a memorandum issued at UN headquarters in New
York. An RFE/RL correspondent noted on 17 December that Bulgaria
has requested the UN to seek ways of aiding countries adversely
affected by enforcement of the sanctions. The memorandum
reportedly notes that the amount of loss sustained by Bulgaria
could threaten the country's democratization processes. (Duncan
Perry, RFE/RL, Inc.)
UDF SELECTS NEW CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER.  On 20 December the
National Coordinating Council of the UDF nominated Yordan Sokolov
for prime minister, BTA reports. Sokolov, acting Minister of
Internal Affairs, was selected over two other members of Filip
Dimitrov's government who were in contention, Justice Minister
Svetoslav Luchnikov and Deputy Premier Ilko Eskenazi.  In a first
comment UDF deputy and parliament chairman Aleksandar Yordanov
said ironically that the nonaffiliated Sokolov represents the
most appropriate choice at a time when UDF member organizations
are "outbidding each other to show their loyalty" toward the
coalition. Sokolov told BTA he hesitated to accept the candidacy.
UDF sympathizers demanding new elections gathered in front of the
UDF building in central Sofia. (Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL, Inc.)

BULGARIAN-RUSSIAN ECONOMIC TIES. Beginning next month Bulgaria
and Russia will begin trading in national currencies, the deputy
director of the Bulgarian National Bank told Reuters on 18
December.  Emil Harsev said Bulgaria and Russia have struck a
bilateral agreement to revoke the 1991 decision of all former
members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA) to
trade exclusively in convertible currencies, a move which was
followed by a dramatic drop in bilateral trade. According to a
report in Pari the previous day, Sofia has also asked Russia to
assume most of Bulgaria's $650-million debt to the International
Bank for Economic Cooperation and the International Investment
Bank, both established to deal with the economic legacy of the
CMEA. The former Soviet republics are estimated to have
accumulated a $500-million trade deficit with Bulgaria, twice as
much as in mid-1991.  In another report on 21 December, a Reuters
correspondent described the growing problems of organized crime
and illegal peddling caused by Russians, Ukrainians, Moldovans,
and others in major Bulgarian cities on the Black Sea coast.
Local authorities are complaining that the influx of racketeers
has increased rapidly but could get much worse when the CIS lifts
visa restrictions in January.  (Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL, Inc.)

Newsgroups: soc.culture.bulgaria