BULGARIA During the first year of the term of the new Government, the Prime Minister Ivan Kostov gave a statement about the Government’s work to the National Assembly in Sofia, on May 15th 1998.1 During this speech, regarding mainly the reforms planned and made by the Bulgarian Government in the program “BULGARIA 2001”, the Prime Minister Ivan Kostov names as one of the major objectives of the United Democratic Force (UDF) Government the pan-European integration process. The UDF has after one year in power succeeded in establishing European democracy and completing political transition peacefully, which should prove the reliability of Bulgaria’s state institutions. Part of Bulgaria’s strategy for accession to the European Union (EU) will be the building up of a new state administration system. The first step forward this reform is an Administration Bill initiated by the Government. The judiciary reform, which is meant to regulate efficiently public relations and implies a three-tier justice administration system that already established courts of appeal, should also speed up the process of accession. The Government was able to reduce trafficking of people, CDs and drugs by the new Act on the Ministry of the Interior that renewed the structure of the police force. The Prime Minister mentions furthermore the following steps, stipulated in the program “BULGARIA 2001” for accession to the EU: The national pre-accession strategy to place Bulgaria within the industrialised European Democracies is of fundamental interest for the country. Mr. Kostov understands the Luxembourg decision to include the country in the enlargement of the EU as a sign of appreciating Bulgaria’s achievements. The second step is the harmonisation of Bulgarian legislation with EU-law. Bulgaria is working uninterruptedly to meet the Copenhagen criteria. In addition, the country seeks to satisfy the Maastricht criteria for membership in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and to be recognised as an infrastructure centre in Southeast Europe. As far as the economy is concerned, Bulgaria depends on encouraging on privatisation and foreign investors as motor of a competitive market economy. A program on restructuring and privatisation of the Military-Industrial Complex is one of the elements for the country’s accession to European structures. In 1997 EU-orientated exports accounted for 44.7 % of all Bulgarian exports and the trade balance is still positive and amounts to 305 million US-Dollars. For Prime Minister Ivan Kostov thus is reason enough to pursue accession to European structures. The major EU trade partners were Germany (26,1 %), Italy (23,3 %) and Greece (15,5 %). The major priority of the Bulgarian investment program lies on developing power, transportation and communication infrastructure as well as integrating them into European infrastructure. The Bulgarian Government thereby places special emphasis on corridor 8 that connects the country to the Middle East and Central Asia. Regarding communication, the document “Policy in Communications”, the new Communication Act and the preparation for setting up an independent authority according to the legal and regulatory framework of European legislation have been major steps advancing European structures in the Communication sector. In the sphere of transportation infrastructure an indicative program has been developed that covers 26 priority investment projects within the system of European transportation corridors 1 http://www.bulgaria.govrn.bg/eng/prime_minister/statements/kostov4.html 1 No 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10. The European Investment Bank, the PHARE Program and the National Highway Network Fund support the rehabilitation of the highway network and bridge rebuilding. Euro 2,6 million from the PHARE program is equally being used for repairs to the railway and the foundations of the Rousse-Gyourgevo bridge. The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the National Employment Office are in charge of providing conditions for a well functioning labour market, of helping to increase the number of new jobs and to boost employment. This shall be achieved by conducting a self-employment promotion policy that draws on the experience of West European countries. Also national vocational training standards, as well as education in general, will introduce uniform requirements for the acquisition of professional qualifications in line with EU standards. On April 21st 1998, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Ivan Kostov stated the situation of Bulgaria within Europe and during the Kosovo crisis at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.2 First of all the Prime Minister points out the highly symbolic character of the Council of Europe, that embodies the principles of a state which is committed to the rule of law, representative democracy and respect for human rights as well as the centuries-old European system of values. Further, Mr. Kostov speaks for the Bulgarian Government and the Bulgarian people who share the belief that “Europe” will be the key word in the coming century and he warns not to draw a new borderline within Europe and separate the Balkans. The Prime Minister sees the Bulgarian initiative on educating citizen as part of the Action Plan “democratic security” and calls the Council of Europe to strengthen the citizens` knowledge of their rights in all European countries. Then Mr. Kosov starts to resume Bulgaria’s role during the Kosovo crisis, when the country was named an island of stability, but suffered economically for the safety of Europe because of the UN-imposed Yugo embargo. In his notion the real integration of the Balkans in Europe means therefore first and foremost the establishment of sound economic relations, the influx of sizeable capital and the transformation of the region into an infrastructure and energy centre which is open to the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caspian Basin. He re-emphasises Bulgaria’s efforts to strengthen peace and security in South –Eastern Europe, such as participation in and playing host to meetings of the Ministers of Defence, Transport and Energy or initiating trilateral meetings on different levels, including top-level, between Bulgaria, Romania and Greece as well as between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. It was under Bulgarian diplomacy that the Joint Declaration of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey and Macedonia on the situation in Kosovo took place on March 10, 1998. This Declaration can be used for further actions in the region, for example of the European Union and the Contact Group at later stages in the Kosovo crisis. The world should know that for the first time – with the Declaration on National Salvation adopted in May 1997 – there has been a real and effective interaction of the democratically elected institutions in Bulgaria. The National Security Concept approved by an overwhelmingly majority of more that three-quarters of the MPs is the most vivid proof that there exists a strategic majority for change in Bulgaria. The name of that change is Europe and the Atlantic community. The Bulgarians return to Europe where they have always been, it is the only way to economic prosperity, sustainable development and security. National legislation shall be brought in line with European standards and enforcement mechanisms are to be created, as well as reforms in administration and the judiciary for which 2 http://www.bulgaria.govrn.bg/eng/prime_minister/statements/Pase_eng.html 2 Bulgaria asks for advice from international organisations. A European legal integration program is on its way and the Bulgarian Government has been successful in fighting excessive corruption to non-existence. As Bulgaria is open to civil society, democracy and human rights, the Government supports the proposal to establish the post of Human Rights Commissioner whose independence and objectivity will ensure considerable progress in the enforcement of the main European conventions. The Bulgarian President already signed the Framework Convention on Protection of National Minorities in October 1997 at Strasbourg. At the Economic Forum in Salzburg on June 23rd 1998, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov held a speech regarding the reforms and objectives meant to be achieved by the Government by 2001.3 The Prime Minister presents the objectives and way of carrying out the reforms in Bulgaria between 1998 and 2001 as following: First of all, Bulgaria aims to meet the Copenhagen criteria and enter into European Union accession negotiations. In parallel, the country also wants to meet the Maastricht criteria. The second major objective is to develop the country as an infrastructure, communication and energy dispatching centre. These reforms are supported by the World Bank and the IMF, which shows Bulgaria’s political stability. The Currency Board Arrangement has furthermore stabilised the financial sector and in July the Lev: Deutsche Mark exchange rate was fixed at 1000:1 and will remain such till the Bulgarian Lev is pegged on the Euro. 73 % of the state-owned long-term assets will be privatised through the privatisation program by the end of 1999. The Bulgarian investment program envisages over 6 billion Dollars investment by or with the participation of the central Government and the municipal authorities by 2001. The Government of Bulgaria will support each investor, because for Bulgaria a stable economy is the only way to open the country to European integration. Mr. Ivan Kostov expects Bulgaria to catch up on the reforms, to learn from the mistakes of those who started before them and to take the path of European Union and NATO accession successfully. At the “European Enlargement” plenary session at the Economic Forum in Salzburg on June 24th 1998, the Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov mentioned some points of critique regarding the standpoint of the European Union towards the timing of Enlargement.4 The Prime Minister initiates his speech by showing Bulgaria’s interest in the success of the Euro and by expressing the conviction that the challenges of the coming century are far larger than they seem today, at least as far as Bulgaria is concerned.