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Blagoevgrad without Water Supply. Blagoevgrad was left without water supply because of the cold. Springs, supplying the city got frozen. Team break the ice by hammers. On the photo: People fill bottles and cans from the several street fountains.

MIA

At today's session, Macedonian Security Council estimated that the political-security situation in the country was relatively stabile. The session was interrupted in the course of the evening due to the obligations of the state officials, and it will continue on Wednesday.

In regard to the situation in Macedonia, there was a discussion on security of borders, especially the northern and western ones, situations in crisis regions, before all in Tetovo, as well as traffic on roads that lead to Jazince, Popova Sapka and Gostivar. The session also included the information of no illegal border crossings due to the great amounts of snow, especially at the western border. As announced from the President's Cabinet, the process of return of police in crisis regions will be discussed on Wednesday.

MIA

Skopje, January 8 (MIA) - Over 58,000 Euro have been raised at an auction organized by the "Blagovestie" foundation on Sunday in Skopje. Officials from the foundation said that these funds would be used for construction of playgrounds for mentally and physically handicapped children. "Blagovestie" will carry out this project together with the organization "Cvet" from Krusevo. Part of the money will be donated to the Macedonian security forces' members who were wounded in the clashes with the terrorists.

BTA

US Group Arrives in Bulgaria to Discuss Government Decisions on Destruction of Scud, SS-23 Missiles.

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - A US group on the destruction of Scud and SS-23 missile systems will be composed before February and will arrive in Bulgaria for talks on the government decisions of 2000 and 2001 to destroy those systems, Defence Minister Nikolai Svinarov said on the Hristo Botev programme of National Radio. Svinarov expressed hopes that the deadline recommended for the destruction of SS-23, October 30, 2002, will be met. The date is fixed in a declaration of the Bulgarian National Assembly of December 19, 2001. Svinarov said he would not mind handing over an SS-23 system to the National Museum of History. On December 21 last year, the director of the museum, Bozhidar Dimitrov, sent a letter to the head of state, the defence minister and the chief of the General Staff, asking that an SS-23 missile system be given to the museum before the destruction of the missiles.

BTA

Standartnews

at an official celebration yesterday night, dedicated to the 146 anniversary of Stoyan Mihailovski. The satirist and writer, working in the "Starshel" (Hornet) humoristic newspaper, was awarded the prize of the same name in the town of Elena. Within the framework of the celebrations, an exhibition comprising selected satiric drawings after fables by Mihailovski from the national children's competition was opened in the town.

(ML)

Standartnews

Vladislava Peeva

Governmental efforts to build up the Gorna Arda cascade are getting on in their fourth anniversary. One, however, wouldn't say that by selecting Enel Power as the strategic investor to replace Ceylan Holding, the Cabinet could relax. Quite the reverse. The pledge to sign the deal with Enel by end-January is merely a good start. All the hard work is in store. For it is easier to make an unilateral decision to make amendments to an intergovernmental agreement which was the case with the Bulgarian-Turkish "infrastructure-energy" agreement of 1998. The realization will not be thus easy. The government will have to both diplomatically turn down their involvement with the Turkish capitals on constructing the three dams of the Gorna Arda project and to negotiate an increased power export to Turkey. And these two clauses are inseparably bound in the abovesaid agreement signed by Ivan Kostov and Mesut Yilmiz. The newly set up Hydro-Power Company "Gorna Arda" with the National Electricity Transmission Company (NETC) and Ceylan Holding as shareholders, owning respectively 69.9 and 30.1 percent, could turn to be a serious obstacle. This company was assigned to build up the cascade but in the meanwhile Ceylan's holding was declared insolvent. Kostov's government made attempts to buy out the Turkish capitals or to dissolve the joint-venture, but to no avail. USD 1 million are invested in the joint-venture. Both parties are interested in getting back the invested means. One thing is obvious: The project, as old as 20 years, will not soon eke out a living for the unemployed in the region of Kardjaly.

(ML)

Standartnews

Nadelina Aneva

BSP to give up its name and to try together with the parties from the Coalition for Bulgaria to create a new image, sociologists proposed to BSP leader Sergei Stanishev and the members of the Executive Bureau. To the experts, such are the expectations of the people at the present moment. Sociologists will give the same advice to the rest of the partners in the Coalition for Bulgaria - Movement 'Social Democrats', United Labour Block and BSDP. We start a discussion in the party, if and how exactly to change our name, Sergei Stanishev said.

(PY)

Standartnews

Silvia Nikolova

Tomorrow Patriarch Maxim will receive two papal legates to specify, in terms of days and hours, the visit of Pope John Paul II to Bulgaria this May, said Metropolitan Gelasius from the Holy Synod. The first deputy secretary of the State Secretariat of the Vatican, Archbishop Leonardo Sandri and the head of protocol of the Secretariat Monsignor Renato Boccardo arrive in Bulgaria today especially for the purpose. They are envisaged to also meet Premier Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Foreign Minister Solomon Passy. The visit of Pope John Paul II has been planned to take place between May 23 and 25.

(SB)

BTA

Archbishop Sandri Brings Pope's Letter to Patriarch Maksim.

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Under-Secretary of State for the Holy See, arrived here on Tuesday to convey a letter from Pope John Paul II to Patriarch Maksim. He is accompanied by Monsignor Renato Boccardo, Chief of Protocol of the Secretariat of State.

The two papal envoys will be visiting until Wednesday afternoon. They are scheduled to meet with Patriarch Maksim, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, representatives of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Catholic community in Bulgaria.

Archbishop Sandri said this was his first visit to Bulgaria and he was glad to be here on behalf of Pope John Paul II. He conveyed the Pontiff's greetings to Patriarch Maksim, the Holy Synod, the Catholics and the whole Bulgarian people.

The Pope accepted the invitation of the Catholic Church in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian authorities to visit in May and would like to send fraternal greetings to Patriarch Maksim and all Bulgarians, Archbishop Sandri said.

The papal envoys' meetings with Patriarch Maksim and the prime minister are scheduled for Wednesday. With the help of the Apostolic Nunciature in Sofia and the people organizing the papal visit the envoys will go into every detail and will discuss security measures, the archbishop said.

The Holy Father is a shepherd and a Christian, that is why it is of the utmost importance to him - and he said as much when he embraced Ali Agca - that this embrace and this love are intended for all people in the world, Archbishop Sandri said. He was answering the question if the Pontiff's visit would clear Bulgaria's reputation of the smear inflicted by the accusation that Bulgarian Sergei Antonov had tried to assassinate him.

The programme of the visit does not include a meeting between the Holy Father and Antonov, Archbishop Sandri said.

BTA

Standartnews

Irena Tzekova

The 'Sofia' ship rescued German yachtsman Karsten Weis. The accident took place on Sunday night. At entering the Mediterranean sea from the Atlantic ocean Bulgarian sailors catch an SOS signal from a sailing craft. Captain Evgeni Atanassov immediately put about the ship and started searching. The Bulgarian crew fought the element some 40 minutes, but at last the only passenger on the 'Harmony' yacht Kirsten Weis was rescued on board. Later he was trans-shipped on a Spanish cutter. 'Sofia' resumed its course to Malta.

(PY)

Standartnews

The prestige Bulgaria has won with its position in the UN SC will help solve the most pressing international issues, the case of the Bulgarian medics in Libya included, said Foreign Minister Solomon Passy on his return from Tehran. He stressed that the post of deputy chairman granted to Bulgaria in the Committee for sanctions against Libya, won't be used for any pressure in the course of the case against the Bulgarian medics. Passy pointed out that he didn't question the independence of the Libyan court.

(SB)

News.bg

Concerning the detention of the two Bulgarian citizens detained in Libya and accused in illegally producing alcohol, Consul Relationships Department to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs distributed a special press release, saying that Bulgarian representatives were making maximal efforts to protect the rights and interest of Bulgarian citizens abroad, although international law and common practice were restricting the capacities of Bulgarian consuls to intervene in favor of Bulgarian citizens encountering problems abroad. Ministry of Foreign Affairs was closely following the development of this case and did not expect that this incident having consular character to influence the case against the six Bulgarian medical personnel. Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reminded that on January 3, 2002 Libyan police carried out a search in the Bulgargeomin camp located nearby Garabuly, which is 80 kilometers away from Tripoli, and found an installation for producing alcohol, one 200-liter cask filled with material prepared for distillation, and six bottles filled with alcohol ready for use. The police arrested three Bulgarian citizens working in the Bulgargeomin Agency, and released one of the detainees after the interrogation that took place on the next day. Bulgarian consul has attended the interrogation.

INTERVIEW Standartnews: Anguel Pavlov

By it the president-elect will reiterate Bulgaria's Euro-Atlantic orientation, says the future protocol chief at N 2 'Dondoukov' Blvd., Anguel Pavlov.

- Mr Pavlov, what will be your role in the team of the new president Georgi Parvanov?

- I wouldn't like to comment before Georgi Parvanov has formed his team. However, I can say in advance that we'll strive after a complete continuity in the organization and holding of the visits of foreign guests and of our head of state. If some changes are to be introduced, it will be done later. We hope that we enter an orderly house with no surprises in the drawers.

- Georgi Parvanov declared that his first visit would be to Brussels. Has its preparation started?

- This visit will be indicative. It is meant to reiterate Bulgaria's Euro-Atlantic orientation. Signs in diplomacy are extremely important. Valid in this respect is the old English maxim 'There are no eternal friends, there are eternal interests'.

- Why didn't Russian President Vladimir Putin come to Bulgaria although he was invited as early as the beginning of Peter Stoyanov's mandate?

- This is another sign. It was a criticism at Ivan Kostov's government which, because of our priority goals - EU and NATO membership, shunned bilateral relations with our traditional partners. It is this that should be changed right now but we must keep in mind the main direction. For this reason I believe that Putin's coming to Bulgaria is a sign of the growing political stability of the country and steadying the atmosphere in the state without which Bulgaria would hardly go ahead. In the meantime we need to continue work on our basic priorities - NATO and EU. I hope that we'll get an invitation for NATO membership this November.

- Pope John Paul II will pay a visit to Bulgaria in May. Have you any embarrassments in connection with the organization of the visit?

- No. I've organized visits of many heads of state in Bulgaria and abroad.

- What do you think about political appointments in diplomacy?

- Only big countries as the USA can afford political appointments. However, even in it, political appointments are confined to the level of ambassadors, and not any lower in the hierarchy. As for Bulgaria, ambassadors and their collaborators and assistants, all of them people without any diplomatic practice, are appointed for political considerations. This results in some instability of our diplomacy. Concerning Bulgaria, more than 60% of the ambassadors are appointed for political considerations. Some of them are very well trained, others are very mediocre.

(SB)

News.bg

A policeman from Sofia was beaten by a recidivist on a parking place in the Burgas district of Meden Rudnik. The policeman was on a visit to his relatives, the Ministry of the Interior press-center reported. The incident happened yesterday around 7:30 PM and followed an argument between the two about who should park first. The perpetrator Slavi I. (34 years), who was released from the prison several months ago after being convicted for a double murder, was detained for a 24-hour period in the Burgas Regional Ministry of the Interior Department.

News.bg

Dimov Dol ore mine in the system of GORUBSO - Madan started working again after an almost 3-year downtime due to liquidation and unsuccessful attempts to selling the mine. The local private company Rudmetal bought the ore mine for USD 346,000, after which two miners brigades entered the mine. Because of high unemployment rate in Rudozem region, 600 people in total have applied for 60 miners jobs and 180 specialists jobs, Executive Director of the mine Mitko Mladenov said. By the end of March, the number of personnel working in the mine should reach 230 people.

News.bg

Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Kabul will be restored, the future Bulgarian Ambassador in Afghanistan Angel Urvbetsov said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Radio. According to him, Bulgaria would take part in recovery processes and would provide humanitarian aid. Bulgaria would also take part in the international peacekeeping troops in accordance with the UN resolution. According to Urbetsov, restoring diplomatic relations with Afghanistan would have its economic bearings as for restoring traditional Bulgarian presence on the Afghani market.

News.bg

According to the assessment of the government given by the Union of Democratic Forces National Executive Council at its first meeting for 2002, the rulers were manifesting an extreme incapability to manage the situation and were allowing full chaos to prevail in all the aspects of life in Bulgaria. The leader of the Union of Democratic Forces Ekaterina Mihailova assessed the total collapse in just a few months of this government that had come with so many hopes and expectations as unprecedented in Bulgarian history. Speaking for News.bg Agency, she said a document registering the blunder of the Cabinet was still to appear. The Chairman of the Union of Democratic Forces parliamentary group Nadezhda Mihailova said that Union of Democratic Forces would make a recapitulation of what the Union of Democratic Forces parliamentary group had achieved in the 39th Parliament on January 10. Todays meeting also particularized the last details of the forthcoming referendum among the Union of Democratic Forces supporters due to start on January 10 about proposed amendments in the Union of Democratic Forces statute, program, organization principles and party activity. Another theme discussed on todays meeting was the forthcoming talks between Union of Democratic Forces and Bulgarian Agrarian Popular Union - Popular Union about updating the agreement and the relations in the Union of Democratic Forces - Coalition parliamentary group.

BTA

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - A Bulgarian Army company that will be in charge of security, defence and check-in control of the Headquarters of the Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina at Camp Butmir near Sarajevo left for the Bosnian capital on Tuesday.

The company consists of 149 career soldiers (including three women: a financial expert and two medical instructors) with their organic weapons and materiel. They are selected on a voluntary basis and will take part in the SFOR operation in the course of one year.

A 19-member advance party of the company left for Sarajevo on January 2, 2002 to prepare the deployment of the Bulgarian contingent. The equipment, needed for accomplishment of the company's mission, left by train on January 6, escorted by 30 servicemen.

The Bulgarian company was selected and trained at the 61st Stryama Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Karlovo (Central Bulgaria). The company received its first NATO certification on December 13, 2001.

The last group of the contingent will leave for Sarajevo from Sofia by plane on January 9, the Defence Ministry said in a press release.

BTA

BTA

Sofia, January 8 (BTA) - A delegation of Rousse (on the Danube, North Central Bulgaria) has left for Germany, said the delegation leader, Rousse Regional Vice Governor Roumyan Ganchev. In Frankfurt (Oder), the delegation will prepare the curricula and other logistics for establishment of an international university between Rousse and Giurgiu, Romania, which face each other across the river.

In Frankfurt, members of the Rousse university community will get familiar with the experience of the Viadrina European University, which runs the Collegium Polonicum in Slubice, Poland, jointly with the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan.

Through the Stability Pact, the Conference of German University Rectors has provided some 50,000 euros for the start of instruction at the Rousse-Giurgiu University. The idea is to provide courses in European Studies and Management for students of Bulgaria, Romania and the rest of Eastern Europe. The faculty will come from Rousse University, the Economic Academy of Bucharest and from Germany. The lectures will be delivered in German and English. The principal project partner is the University of Chemnitz, where the curricula are being developed.

Instruction is planned to start in the autumn of 2002, Ganchev said. He singled out the cross-border movement of students and faculty as one of the greatest obstacles which has to be addressed at government level.

BTA

DIE WELDT.de

Mit gezielter Gewalt wollen albanische Extremisten einen neuen Krieg provozieren. Die Geldgeber der Unruhestifter kommen aus Deutschland und Schweiz.

Von Boris Kalnoky, Susanne Simon und Karl Wendl.

Tetovo - Die Welt kennt nur die mit Tarnfarbe beschmierten Gesichter der Kmpfer an den Frontlinien in den Bergen ber der Stadt Tetovo: Junge albanische Mnner, die mit Kalaschnikow-Gewehren aus gesicherten Stellungen gezielt auf die Stadt feuern. Wer aber sind die Chefs der UCK-Extremisten, wer zieht im Hintergrund die Fden? Mehr als die Befehle einzelner Feldkommandanten zhlt der Einfluss einer Clique frherer und gegenwrtiger albanischer Emigranten in der Schweiz und Deutschland. Sie haben engste Verbindungen zu bestimmten Clans im Kosovo und in Mazedonien. Die albanische Gesellschaft ist eine Clan-Gesellschaft, und Entscheidungen im Clan werden traditionell von einem Rat seiner angesehensten Mnner getroffen, per Abstimmung. Das ist die eine Erkenntnis. Die zweite ist: Die Hintermnner des Kriegs in Mazedonien sind grtenteils identisch oder eng verbunden mit jenen, die den Kosovo-Krieg losgetreten haben.

Einer davon ist der 42-jhrige Ali Ahmeti. Er bot krzlich im Namen der UCK und als ihr "politischer Vertreter" einen Waffenstillstand an. Ahmeti stammt aus einem Dorf namens Zajas bei Kicevo in Mazedonien. Als junger Student organisierte der deklarierte Marxist 1981 in Pristina (Kosovo) Grodemonstrationen. Der Rdelsfhrer wurde in Haft genommen. Mehrere Jahre sa Ahmeti im Gefngnis. Spter setzte er sich als politischer Flchtling in die Schweiz ab. Von Zrich aus war er einer der Mitorganisatoren der kosovarischen UCK. Ein weiterer Aktivist der "Schweiz Connection" ist der 60-jhrige Journalist und Schriftsteller Fazil Veliu. Veliu war einst Chefredakteur einer kosovarischen Zeitung. Wegen seiner Artikel gegen das Regime wurde er zu 14 Jahren Haft verurteilt. Nach seiner Freilassung flchtete er - wie Ahmeti - in die Schweiz. Im vergangenen Jahr tauchte er dann in Deutschland auf. Wegen des Verdachts "terroristischer Aktivitten" wurde er von der Polizei festgenommen, aber nach wenigen Wochen wieder entlassen. Seither lebt er wieder in der Schweiz.

Veliu oder Ahmeti, das ist eigentlich egal - Veliu ist Ahmetis Onkel, beide stammen aus dem Ort Zajas. Veliu ist ein enger Freund des kosovarischen Jashari-Clans. Dieser Clan und andere mit ihm verwandte Familien griffen als erste gegen die Serben auf dem Kosovo zu den Waffen. Ein weiterer Freund der Familie Jashari ist niemand anderer als Hasim Thaqi, Chef der offiziell aufgelsten kosovarischen UCK. Auch er war zuvor Emigrant in der Schweiz. Gegenwrtig ist Thaqi Vorsitzender einer von ihm gegrndeten Partei im Kosovo, der PDK. Thaqis langjhriger Geheimdienstchef war Emrush Xhemali. Er ist einer der geheimnisvollsten Mnner dieser Szene. Seine Kontakte zu den Albaner in Mazedonien sind exzellent; ebenso die zu den Freischrlern im sdserbischen Presevo-Tal. Xhemali drfte der militrische Kommandant der Extremisten in Mazedonien sein - nur er sei in der Lage, gleichzeitig im Presevo-Tal und in Mazedonien einen bewaffneten Aufstand zu inszenieren, heit es.

Xhemalis Stellvertreter im Presevo-Tal sind sein Bruder Muhamet sowie Shefket Musliu. Musliu wurde vergangenen Sommer von den UN-Sicherheitskrften wegen Mordverdachts festgenommen, aber kurz darauf wieder freigelassen. Ungestrt von der KFOR konnte er daraufhin in der fnf Kilometer breiten Pufferzone zwischen Serbien und dem Kosovo eine perfekt ausgerstete Guerilla-Armee aufbauen. Sein Hauptquartier liegt in dem 1200 Einwohner Ort Dobrosin. Hier werden auch die Soldaten der UCK zwangsrekrutiert. Einer, dem die Flucht gelang, ist der 25-jhrige Bekim M. (25). Er setzte sich nach Belgrad ab, seine Eltern leben in Hamburg, zwei seiner Onkel in der Schweiz. Gegenber WELT am SONNTAG behauptet Bekim, "dass rund 500.000 Albaner, die in Deutschland, der Schweiz, Belgien und in Skandinavien leben, den Irrsinn der UCK finanzieren". Von den Gastarbeitern wird eine dreiprozentige "Kriegssteuer" eingehoben.

Ebenso groe Summen flossen und flieen aus dem organisierten Menschen- und Drogenhandel in den Kosovo und nach Mazedonien. Einer der "Paten" war Agim Gashi aus Pristina. "Er galt als Drogenknig von Mailand, und nebenbei als Finanzier der UCK", meint ein italienischer Diplomat. Als Gashi 1998 verhaftet wurde, fanden Ermittler eine Vielzahl an Unterlagen ber Waffenlieferungen in den Kosovo. Eine weitere Schlsselfigur der Albaner-Mafia war Amarildo Vrioni. Bei seiner Verhaftung in der italienischen Hafenstadt Brindisi gestand er, Waffen fr den Kosovo mit Heroin bezahlt zu haben. Der grsste Fisch ging den internationalen Drogenfahndern aber in Tschechien ins Netz. In seiner Prager Wohnung konnte "Prinz Doboshi" verhaftet werden. Er soll den gesamten mitteleuropischen Heroinhandel diktiert haben. Von seinen Konten flossen Millionen an die UCK nach Tetovo.