Expats

Bulgaria Hopes for 600 000 Russian Tourists in 2012 [May 18, 2012] Bulgaria remains one of the top holiday destinations for Russians, and expects a 30% y/y growth in the number of Russian visitors, according to the Bulgarian Consulate in Moscow. With the arrival of the summer tourist season the Bulgarian Consulate in the Russian capital is already issuing 3 000 visas daily, the Consulate said, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio Friday. For the first four ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Participates in Huge International Cocaine Bust [Apr 05, 2012] Bulgarian authorities are currently involved in a large-scale cocaine bust operation, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov. Speaking in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, Thursday, Tsvetanov announced that the international operation concerns over 1 metric ton of the illegal drug and that a Bulgaria national is involved in the major drug ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's National Power Utility to Seek 15% Price Increase [Mar 26, 2012] The National Electricity Company (NEK) is expected to seek a price increase of at least 15% from July 01, according to Mihail Andonov, the new Director of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH). In a Monday interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), Andonov explained that the electricity prices approved by the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR) for the regulatory period ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Trakiya Highway to Be Almost Ready for Summer [Mar 18, 2012] Lots 2 and 3 of Bulgaria's Trakiya Highway will be completed before the end of June 2012, informed Bulgarian Minsiter of Regional Development Lilyana Pavlova. Speaking in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio Sunday, Pavlova assured that work on the highway is going ahead of schedule, and part of lot 4 will be also ready by June. Lots 2-4 are the parts under construction of the Trakiya ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Business Cries Blue Murder over Qatari Fiasco [Mar 15, 2012] A day after Qatar businessmen failed to show up at a much publicized in Bulgaria bilateral business forum in the capital Doha, Bulgaria's companies blamed poor organization back home. "Our visit and the forum were not properly organized," Asparuh Karastoyanov, Board member of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in an interview for the national radio BNR. According to him ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Plovdiv Moves to Reveal Roman Forum [Mar 07, 2012] Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv will invest BGN 100 000 into making the western portion of its Roman forum visible, it has been revealed. The further excavation of the edifice is expected to kick off in May. If necessary, the project may receive further financing, Plovdiv Mayor Ivan Totev has told the Bulgarian National Radio. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Brings Last-Minute, Makeshift Pavilion to Prodexpo'2012 [Feb 14, 2012] Bulgaria's participation in the prestigious international exhibition of food, beverages and food raw materials Prodexpo Moscow 2012 got off to a disastrous start over delayed payments. Due to the late money transfer, the Bulgarian pavilion was assembled hastily and with materials that happened to be on hand, the Bulgarian National Radio reported on Tuesday. "The manner in which Bulgaria is ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Seeks Foreign Expert Help for New Jail Project [Feb 12, 2012] Bulgaria will invite foreign experts to help it create the project for its new jail, the country's Justice Minister Diana Kovacheva has announced. Little progress has been made in the project, since discussions have been mainly focused on finding the appropriate place where the jail should be built, Kovacheva explained in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio. The assistance of foreign ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's 'Arsenal' Military Plant Braces for Massive Layoff [Feb 03, 2012] Over 900 employees of Bulgaria's Arsenal Kazanlak, one of the largest military factories in the Balkans, will be laid off, it was made clear after the plant's managing body met with representatives of the local municipality. Approximately 600 of the workers about to be laid off are employed on temporary contracts, while 94 have reached the age of retirement, the Bulgarian National Radio ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Fully Enter EU Fiscal Pact - FinMin [Jan 24, 2012] Bulgaria will most probably back the whole EU fiscal pact and not just some of the texts included in it, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has revealed, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio. It is yet to be decided whether Bulgaria will maintain an observer status like other non-eurozone EU member states, Djankov clarified after attending the meeting of the EU Economic and Financial ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's President-elect: I Am Already Working Hard [Jan 15, 2012] Bulgaria's President-elect, Rosen Plevneliev, announced that he has selected an ambitious team which is already working hard and has very ambitious plans for the country. Plevneliev spoke Sunday in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR. He stated that the priorities for the State were his top priorities as well, while the most difficult task, he would undertake as early as his first ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Increase Capacity of Its Kozloduy NPP by 60 MW [Dec 20, 2011] The capacity of Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant, Kozloduy, will be increased by 60 MW as its generators will be replaced, it was announced on Tuesday. The reconstruction works will take two years and will cost EUR 30 M. "We are getting near to the fulfillment of that idea," Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traicho Traikov told the Bulgarian National Radio.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Lukoil Refinery to Meet Statutory Requirements by Jan 15 - Customs Agency Head [Dec 05, 2011] Vanyo Tanov, head of Bulgaria's Customs Agency, has assured that all excise duty leaks in cigarette sales have been plugged. In a Monday interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), he explained that the higher cigarette excise rates had led to a reduction in smoking rates. The head of Bulgaria's customs authority also announced that 8 new anti-smoking scanners were yet to be put into ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Podkrepa Labor Confederation Quits Tripartite Cooperation Council [Nov 18, 2011] Bulgaria's Podkrepa Labor Confederation is leaving the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation and demands the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov over his plans to increase the retirement age by a year as of January 2012. In a Friday interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), Evgeni Dushkov, Chair of Podkrepa's National Strike Committee, explained ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Netherlands Unwavering in Not Letting Bulgaria in Schengen [Nov 15, 2011] The Netherlands is not going to change its position on Bulgaria's and Romania's joining of the Schengen zone, according to a Dutch Interior Ministry spokesperson, speaking for the Bulgarian National Radio. The statement comes on the heels of reports that Finland has softened its position on Bulgaria and Romania's Schengen accession. The Nordic country is now in favor of the EU opening its air ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Moves to Destroy Palaces of Notorious Roma 'Tsar' [Nov 10, 2011] The Regional Directorate for Construction Control in Bulgaria's second largest city of Plovdiv has issued an order for the demolishment of 9 illegal luxurious buildings owned by controversial Roma clan leader Kiril Rashkov. A decision is yet to be reached concerning two of the Roma clan's properties, one of which is the house inhabited by Rahkov and his wife, the Bulgarian National Radio has ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Rises against EU's Ever 'Greener' CAP [Nov 07, 2011] Bulgaria is raising serious objections against the changes of EU's Common Agricultural Policy which the European Commission has proposed as of 2014, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov announced. Naydenov is in Brussels for the talks on the reformed CAP between the 27 EU member-states, the European Commission, and the European Parliament, the Bulgarian National Radio reported. "Bulgaria will ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Amnesty: Bulgaria Violates Weapons Embargo [Oct 21, 2011] Bulgaria has been selling weapons to Libya in the last five years in violation of the weapons embargo, according to Amnesty International's Helen Hughes. Hughes, chief expert on weapons trade and human rights at Amnesty, spoke Friday in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR. The expert said Bulgaria is selling weapons in violation of human rights not only to Libya, but to Egypt and ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Expects Harsh OLAF Report [Oct 19, 2011] The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) is going to present its annual report on their probes in cases of abuse and embezzlement of EU funds for 2010. The news was announced Wednesday by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR. According to unconfirmed data, the majority of these cases in different Member States, once again, stems from abuse of money granted for farming, while Bulgaria will lead for the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Competition Watchdog Gives Green Light to Bulgartabac Privatization [Sep 27, 2011] Bulgaria's Commission for Protection of Competition gave a go-ahead to Vienna-registered BT Invest to acquire the country's tobacco monopoly, cigarette maker Bulgartabac Holding. The news was reported Tuesday by the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, citing the Commission's decision, which came on the grounds the deal must be given a green light since it would not obstruct effective and loyal ... [via YahooNews] More >>