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30 March 2012, Issue 3354
by Novinite.com
Bulgaria's Daily Newspaper since 2001
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| BUSINESS POLITICS WORLD SOCIETY SPORTS FORUM |
Bulgarian Parliament Seals Death of Belene NPP Project
 Bulgaria's Parliament has adopted a decision to terminate the construction of the 2000 MW Belene nuclear power plant, a project conceived back in the 1980s. read |
Romania Gives Green Light to Chevron Shale Gas Exploration
 Romania has granted US energy giant Chevron permission to to explore and exploit shale gas in three coastal perimeters - Vama Veche, Adamclisi and Costinesti. read |
Bulgaria to Have 1 600 km of Highways by 2020 - Govt
 Bulgaria will boast some 1 600 km of highways and "high-speed roads", Bulgarian Minister of Regional Development Lilyana Pavlova promised. read |
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RUSSIA TO INSIST ON BUILDING BULGARIA'S KILLED BELENE NPP
Russia is set to insist that the Bulgarian state honor the contract for the construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant, according to the Russian energy minister, even though Bulgaria's Borisov Cabinet killed the project. Bulgaria and Russia will hold talks on the Belene NPP in Moscow on Friday during the visit of Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Delyan Dobrev, the Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko told ITAR-TASS Thursday afternoon. read more 
BULGARIA'S PRESIDENT GETS LOST IN INFRASTRUCTURE DREAMS Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev has painted a rather dreamy picture of the Bulgarian infrastructure in 2020 while speaking at 7th annual "Strategic Infrastructure Bulgaria" conference in Sofia. "Sofia can turn into the only city on the planet where people can go skiing by subway. There's no other place in Europe or the world where one can go to the ski track from the metro station," stated the President, who served as Bulgaria's Regional Development and Public Works Minister in 2009-2011, and is a former construction entrepreneur. read more BULGARIA TO HAVE 1 600 KM OF HIGHWAYS BY 2020 - GOVT Bulgaria will boast some 1 600 km of highways and "high-speed roads", Bulgarian Minister of Regional Development Lilyana Pavlova promised. Speaking at the 7th annual conference "Strategic Infrastructure, Bulgaria 2012" on Thursday, Pavlova said a total of 260 km of highways are under construction at the present moment, with another 450 km of highways to be completed by 2020. read more BULGARIA'S RUBIN BUYS SERBIAN GLASS PLANT Bulgarian glassmaker Rubin has acquired a 63.6% stake in Srpska Fabrika Stakla, owned by Serbian state-owned gas monopoly Srbijagas. The price of the deal is EUR 35 M. read more SMES GENERATE 90% OF EMPLOYMENT IN BULGARIA � NGO Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) create 90% of the employment in Bulgaria, according to Svetla Kostadinova, CEO of the Institute for Market Economy (IME). Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Kostadinova explained that SMEs accounted for around 95% of all companies in Bulgaria. read more BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT SEALS DEATH OF BELENE NPP PROJECT Bulgaria's Parliament has adopted a decision to terminate the construction of the 2000 MW Belene nuclear power plant, a project conceived back in the 1980s. After on Wednesday, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced that the Cabinet was to end the deal with Russia's Atomstroyexport for the construction of the Belene project because it was "unfeasible" and too expensive, on Thursday, the Parliament followed suit. read more ROMANIA GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO CHEVRON SHALE GAS EXPLORATION Romania has granted US energy giant Chevron permission to to explore and exploit shale gas in three coastal perimeters - Vama Veche, Adamclisi and Costinesti. The country's government has approved concession agreements for exploration, development and exploitation of shale gas in the aforementioned perimeters signed by the Romanian Mineral Resources Agency and Chevron, dnevnik.bg informs, citing Ziarul Financiar. read more 
BULGARIA TO FACE PENALTIES EXCEEDING USD 58 M OVER BELENE NPP SUSPENSION Bulgaria faces penalties amounting to way over USD 58 M over the cancellation of the Belene NPP project, Russian media warn. Citing sources from Russia's state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom, Moscow-based business daily Vedomosti reports that this is the cost of the already carried out preparatory works on the site near the northern Bulgarian town of Belene. read more BULGARIA OFFICIALLY TELLS RUSSIA IT SCRAPPED BELENE NPP Bulgaria has sent a note to Russia asking it to launch negotiations on the cancellation of the two countries' Belene nuclear power plant project that was to be built in Bulgaria, according to a report. On Thursday, Russian Deputy PM Igor Sechin is expected to meet with representatives of the Russian Energy Ministry and state-owned company Rosatom in order to form Russia's official stance on the issue, the BGNES news agency has informed. read more BULGARIA SENDS MINISTER TO RUSSIA AFTER SCRAPPING BELENE NPP Bulgaria's new economy and energy minister will travel to Moscow on Thursday, a day after the government decided to abandon plans to build Belene nuclear power plant on the Danube River. Bulgaria´s government announced on Wednesday it has abandoned plans to build a new, 2000 megawatt nuclear power plant on the Danube River for which it has contracted Russian state firm Atomstroyexport. read more BULGARIA FIRED MINISTER: BRAVO FOR BELENE, TOO EARLY TO PARTY Bulgaria's decision to abandon plans to build Belene nuclear power plant is the best one, the former energy and economy minister has said, adding also a word of caution. "Things did not look very promising while I was in the government. Obviously something has happened following my resignation, which has tipped the scales in favor of this decision. In this sense I think all the efforts paid off," Minister Traicho Traikov told the Bulgarian National Radio Thursday morning. read more SOCIALIST: US FORCED BULGARIA GOVT TO QUIT SECOND N-PLANT The decision to scrap plans to build Belene nuclear power plant is a catastrophic mistake, taken under US pressure, and dooms Bulgaria's only technology sector to slow death, a socialist has fumed. "The Americans, not Borisov decided the fate of Belene," Socialist MP and former economy and energy minister Rumen Ovcharov told Nova TV morning broadcast, referring to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. read more BULGARIAN PM: THANK THREE-WAY COALITION GOVT FOR BELENE NPP CANCELLATION! Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has attributed the collapse of the Belene NPP project to the previous three-way coalition government. "If there was an opponent to the Belene NPP project, then this was the three-way coalition government and Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev, we just finisher what they started on purpose," said Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in Parliament during Thursday's debates on the draft decision to stop the construction of the Belene NPP. read more MOST BULGARIANS WANT ABANDONED NPP - POLL More than half of the people in Bulgaria support the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant, which has just been abandoned by the Borisov Cabinet, a poll shows. After years of delaying the final decision on the fate of the controversial Bulgarian-Russian project, the Bulgarian government on Wednesday said it gave up on the construction of a second NPP because it was "unfeasible" and "too costly". read more BULGARIAN EX-PRESIDENT PINES FOR BELENE NPP PROJECT Bulgaria's former President Georgi Parvanov (2002-2012) has expressed his deep disappointment with the fact that his country abandoned the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project. Bulgaria´s centrist-right GERB government announced on Wednesday it has abandoned plans to build the new, 2000 megawatt nuclear power plant on the Danube River for which it had contracted Russian state firm Atomstroyexport. read more BULGARIAN PRESIDENT TO HEAD TO ITALY ON 1ST OFFICIAL VISIT ABROAD Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev will visit Italy on March 30 on the invitation of his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano. Plevneliev's trip to Italy will be his first official visit abroad since he assumed office in January, his press office has stated. read more MEPS URGE ALL EU MEMBERS TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO The European Parliament has urged the five EU Member States that have yet to recognize Kosovo's independence to do so. With a resolution adopted at Thursday's plenary session on EU enlargement, the MEPs told the five EU non-recognizers of Kosovo – Spain, Romania, Greece, Slovakia, and Cyprus – they should recognize the independence of the former Serbian province, noting that 88 countries have already done so. read more EP LAUDS SERBIA, MONTENEGRO'S EU ACCESSION PROGRESS The European Parliament has praised Serbia and Montenegro for their progress towards EU accession during Thursday's plenary session on EU enlargement. The Parliament says the EU should start accession talks with Serbia as soon as possible, welcomes plans to start them with Montenegro in June and calls on the five EU Member States that have yet to recognize Kosovo's independence to do so, in three resolutions adopted on Thursday. read more MEPS URGE 'FRESH IMPETUS' FOR TURKEY'S EU INTEGRATION EU-Turkey relations need fresh impetus, but will get it only if Turkey makes more progress on reform, said the Members of the European Parliament in a resolution, voted on Thursday. The resolution adopted during a plenary session on EU enlargement, on the Commission's 2011 report on Turkey's progress towards joining the EU, urges Turkey to do more to reform its judiciary and protect civil liberties and sets out concerns about its laws curbing media freedom and many trials of journalists. read more COMMISSIONER ANDOR JOINS DISABLED PEOPLE FORUM IN BULGARIA The European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Laszlo Andor, will pay a visit to Bulgaria on Thursday. The Commissioner will participate in the First European Fair of Social Enterprises & Cooperatives for People with Disabilities that will take place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from March 29 to 1st April. A European conference will also be held on "Social Entrepreneurship and Europe 2020". read more EX TSAR SAXE-COBURG GOES TO BRUSSELS 'FOR BULGARIA'S GOOD' Bulgarian ex Tsar and ex Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg is on a visit to Brussels on high-profile meetings for "Bulgaria's good", in his own words. Saxe-Coburg has already met with the Vice President of the European Commission and Economic Affairs EU Commissioner Olli Rehn, and with the heads of the major groups in the European Parliament. read more STRAY DOGS NEARLY EAT MAN IN SOFIA, MAYOR PARROTS 'CASTRATION' PROMISES Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Bulgaria's capital Sofia, has once again promised that measures will be taken to deal with the city's grave stray dogs problem. "There is now other way of solving this issue besides an increased and massive neutering and the construction of new shelters," Fandakova stated on Monday. read more SOFIA TO PHASE OUT 300 ILLEGAL BASE STATIONS OF MOBILE OPERATORS Some 300 illegal base stations of mobile operators in Sofia will be phased out. The inspection of the base stations was carried out by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works on a tip-off from the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office. read more BULGARIA'S HEALTH INSURANCE FUND CONVICTED OF ABUSE OF DOMINANT POSITION The Supreme Administrative Court (VAS) has confirmed the abuse of dominant position by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), according to a Thursday statement of the Commission on Protection of Competition (KZK). In July 2010, KZK found that the NHIF had breached competition regulations by imposing on pharmacies prices for the sale of medicines contained in the NHIF Reimbursement List. read more BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT MOVES TO CAP ENFORCEMENT AGENT FEES The fees charged by private enforcement agents (PEAs) will be capped, most probably at 10% of the amount of the debt, according to legal amendments passed at first reading in Parliament on Wednesday. The amendments to the Civil Procedure Code were proposed by center-right ruling party GERB. read more BULGARIAN PRIEST INSISTS PATRIARCH MAXIM WAS COMMUNIST SPY The Communist State Security file of Bulgarian Patriarch Maxim was hidden or destroyed, when the regime decided that he will become Patriarch or when he became such, according to Father Lyubomir Popov. The priest made the statement in an exclusive interview for Novinite.com and Novinite.bg. read more NOVINITE.COM (SNA) LAUNCHES FLASH NEWS SERVICE The largest Bulgarian English-language media Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) is pleased to announce to its readers from around the world the launch of its Flash News service. Flash News is a new tool to keep you up to date with the most important events and developments covered by Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency). read more HUNGARY STEPS UP CALLS FOR PRESIDENT RESIGNATION OVER 'BULGARIAN' PLAGIARISM Hungarian President Pal Schmitt is under an increasing pressure to resign, even though he was formally cleared of plagiarizing his 1992 doctoral dissertation. On Wednesday, a five-member committee at Budapest's Semmelweis University says academics at the then-independent University of Physical Education should have noticed and called attention to similarities between large parts of Schmitt's thesis analyzing the Olympic Games and works by other authors, including Bulgarian researcher Nikolai Georgiev. read more NOTORIOUS MP APPOINTED TO HEAD BULGARIA'S NATIONAL HEALTH FUND Bulgarian ruling GERB party MP Plamen Tsekov has been expectedly selected by the parliament to become the next head of Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund. On Thursday, a total of 115 lawmakers voted in favor of Tsekov's appointment, while only 2 opposed it and 13 abstained from voting. read more BULGARIA'S DIMITROV OUT OF MIAMI AFTER DREAM RUN The participation of Bulgaria's best tennis player Grigor Dimitrov at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami has come to an end after a defeat by Janko Tipsarevic. Janko Tipsarevic, ninth seed, scored a victory over Dimitrov in straight sets 7-6(3), 6-2 after competing for an hour and 20 minutes and advanced to the last eight. read more BULGARIA'S EX HEALTH MINISTER ACQUITTED IN 'FLU SHOTS' TRIAL Bulgaria's ex Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev has been acquitted of charges for inflicting damages for the Health Ministry. The Sofia City Court on Thursday acquitted Nanev, who was the first Minister of Health in the center-right Borisov Cabinet of the GERB party (two more health ministers have been replaced since he resigned). read more BULGARIA'S DIMITROV HOPES SERENA RUMORS WILL NOT HIT RISE Click here to read the story: www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=137987 IN THE BAR A lady enters the bar and sits next to a horse. She asks him: - Why the long face? read more ITALY SEIZES EUR 1.1 B OF GADDAFI ASSETS A total of EUR 1.1 B of assets belonging to family members of Libya's late strongman Muammar Gaddafi have been seized by Italy's tax police. The seized assets include stakes in Italy's largest bank UniCredit , oil and gas giant Eni , defence group Finmeccanica, carmaker Fiat, truck-maker Fiat Industrial and Turin-based soccer club Juventus . read more FRANCE: MERAH'S FATHER HAS RIGHT TO SUE STATE, BUT ACT VULGAR The father of Toulouse gunman is perfectly within his rights to sue France, but such an act would be the height of indecency, French politicians have said. "While the man is perfectly within his rights to start legal proceedings, it would be indecent," President Nicolas Sarkozy's chief adviser, Henri Guaino, told France Culture radio, as cited by France 24. read more BRICS DEMAND GREATER ROLE IN GLOBAL FINANCES, SHIELD SYRIA, IRAN The BRICS nations – Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa – have declared their wish for a greater role in global affairs, including the global financial system, at a summit in New Delhi. Russia's President Medvedev called for a key role for the BRICS nations in world affairs, and demanded faster modernization of the world financial system to reflect their growing role, following talks with BRICS nations leaders in Delhi on Thursday. read more SPAIN PARALYZED BY GENERAL STRIKE Spanish unions are holding a general strike on Thursday to protest against new legislation which makes it easier and cheaper for companies to fire employees. Road, rail and air transport are all due to be affected, with domestic and European flights cut to a fraction of their usual volume. read more TOULOUSE GUNMAN'S FATHER 'TO SUE FRANCE' The father of Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah has hired an Algerian lawyer to sue French special police over his son's death, French media report. Mohamed Merah, 23, killed seven people, including three children, in southern France before he was shot dead in a siege at his home last week. read more FATHER POPOV: SENIOR BULGARIAN ORTHODOX CLERGY ARE THUGS IN CASSOCKS WITH COMMUNIST TIES Click here to read the story: www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=137994 A REALITY CHECK FOR BULGARIA'S PRESIDENT Bulgaria's Presidents have enjoyed high approval ratings most of the time, mainly due to the fact that heads of state in the country have largely, though not entirely, representative and ceremonial functions. Former Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev, who took over as President in January, has proven to be no exception, as polls show he can count on a better support than Bulgarian politicians with much more experience. If he manages to stay clear of major gaffes, he will surely enjoy a rather calm time as President. read more WHY BURYING BELENE IS GOOD Some twenty years after the Chernobyl disaster and faced with "the ominous prospect of turning the country into s disco club", Bulgaria's previously ruling Socialist-left coalition set its hopes on an ambitious solution. I am sure you know it all too well - the construction of Belene Nuclear Power Plant's two 1,000-megawatt reactors near the Danube town of Belene. read more |
A Reality Check for Bulgaria's President
Father Popov: Senior Bulgarian Orthodox Clergy Are Thugs in Cassocks with Communist Ties
