Section: Bulgaria
NATO Coordination Center Opening Doors in Sofia
A coordination center set up by NATO as part of its recent eastern redeployment is due to open on Thursday morning in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia.President Rosen Plevneliev is to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside James Appathurai, NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy. Last year...
EU Ambassadors Agree to Extend Sanctions Against Russia over Ukraine Crisis
The European Union will extend sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and companies accused of backing pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine by six months, AFP and Interfax reported on Wednesday, citing diplomats. “There is a political agreement; (officials) agreed to extend the sanctions for six months to March next...
Clashes Near Ukraine’s Parliament Deepen Rifts in Ruling Coalition
A protest rally outside Ukraine’s parliament against amendments to the constitution that give greater autonomy to the eastern regions controlled by pro-Russian rebels turned violent earlier this week. The clashes were the worst in the Ukrainian capital since a bloody uprising in early 2014 and have deepened cracks in President Petro...
EU to Extend Sanctions Against Russian, Ukrainian Individuals, Companies
The European Union (UN) is expected to extend on Wednesday the sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and companies by six months. The assets of 150 people and 37 companies will remain frozen and they will continue to be subject of travel bans until March 2016, when the sanctions will be reviewed again, EUobserver informs. The...
8000-Year-Old Neolithic Settlement to Become New Tourist Attraction of Sofia
The neolithic settlement in the Slatina neighbourhood will become one of the tourist attractions of the Bulgarian capital next year. This was announced by Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, Cross news agency reports. The settlement is 8000 years old and is the oldest in the Sofia valley. It used to be much larger, but part of it was destroyed in the...
Clashes, Grenade Explosion Take Place Outside Ukraine’s Parliament
About a hundred policemen were wounded in protests outside Ukraine’s parliament building on Monday as lawmakers approved on first reading amendments to the constitution that will give greater autonomy to the eastern regions controlled by Russian-backed rebels, newswires reported. A loud explosion was heard when an unknown individual threw a...
Russia, Germany, France Call for Full Ceasefire in Ukraine Starting on September 1
Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande called for a complete ceasefire in eastern Ukraine beginning on September 1 due to the start of the school year. The three leaders issued the call during a telephone conversation on Saturday, the main topics of discussion being the situation...
Foreign tourists to Bulgaria grow less
For the second year in a row Bulgaria fails to attract more than 1 million foreign tourists in July – the first of the two strongest tourist months in this country. The record high number of guests was registered in 2012 and 2013, the National Statistical Institute informs. This year, in July, the number of persons visiting this country for a...
Bulgaria Lacks Progress in Fight against Corruption – US Interim Chargé d’Affaires
Bulgaria has registered progress in many spheres over the past 25 years, yet there are also worrying trends, including the economic development and the fight against corruption, according to Roderick W. Moore, interim Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Sofia. In a Wednesday interview for Nova TV, he specified that he was not...
EU Considering More Aid to Help Hungary Tackle Migrant Flow
The European Commission said on Tuesday it could consider increasing financial assistance to Hungary to help the country tackle a growing migrant influx. European Commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud told a daily briefing in Brussels the EU executive body could designate Hungary as a “front line state” along with Greece, Italy and Malta in...
