HELICOPTER-OVERFLIGHT.
BTA
Sofia, April 19 (BTA) - A helicopter on a KFOR mission overflew the no-fly zone on the site of the Kozlodoui N-plant on Thursday, the press office of the Transport Ministry said.
The security perimeter around the N-plant is 30 km in diameter and 5 km in height.
A UH-1D helicopter of the German armed forces with flight number JOKER 77 performing a KFOR mission from the airport of Timisoara to the airport of Teplicane and a planned stopover in Sofia crossed the state border in the area of Kozlodoui at 11:55hrs in violation of the issued diplomatic permit and of regulations for flights in Bulgarian air space and headed in the direction of Vratsa and Sofia.
The helicopter entered the N-plant's no-fly zone and flew over 2 km to the east of the facility at an altitude of 600 m.
The Romanian authorities said the planned flight route was Timisoara-Lom-Vratsa-Sofia.
The Air Traffic Services Authority could not prevent the helicopter from entering the no-fly zone due to lack of radar input. The altitude at which the helicopter was flying made it invisible for the radar systems. By the time radio contact was established with the pilot, the helicopter was already leaving the no-fly zone. The craft made a successful landing at the Sofia Airport at 11:39hrs.
Leaders of Greece and Bulgaria meet in Romania.
AP
SNAGOV, Romania - Greek, Bulgarian and Romanian leaders on Friday discussed regional cooperation on security and other issues.
The meeting brought together Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis; Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, and President Ion Iliescu of Romania. Iliescu's spokeswoman, Corina Cretu, said discussions also focused on "unconventional risks such as trafficking in human beings and drugs."
Trafficking in human beings and drugs has flourished in the region since communism ended in 1989 and the wars in neighboring Yugoslavia broke out in the 1990s.
The three met in the lakeside villa of former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in Snagov, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Bucharest.
Romania and Bulgaria are hoping to join NATO at a summit later this year.
Greece, already a member, supports the two countries' bids.
The three are expected to adopt a statement about the crisis in the Middle East at the end of the conference, Cretu said.
MACEDONIA - JUDICIARY - BULGARIA.
BTA
Sofia, April 19 (BTA) - A six-member delegation of the Macedonian State Judicial Council (SJC) paid a working visit to Bulgaria Friday, the first such visit ever, at the invitation of Justice Minister Anton Stankov and the Supreme Judicial Council.
The delegation was headed by SJC Chairman Jordan Deskoski.
The sides decided to elaborate programmes for joint training of members of the judiciary from the two countries, and to encourage Bulgarian and Macedonian nongovernmental law organizations to establish contacts.
Such meetings will be held on an annual basis.
REPORT - NUCLEAR SECURITY - ASSESSMENTS.
BTA
Sofia, April 19 (BTA) - The initial assessments of Bulgaria's achievements in the field of nuclear safety included in the second national nuclear safety report are extremely positive, the press office of the Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, CPUAE, said.
On Thursday CPUAE Chairman Emil Vapirev presented the report in Vienna before the International Atomic Energy Agency. Vapirev was accompanied by Energy Minister Milko Kovachev, Chairman of the parliamentary Energy Committee Vesselin Bliznakov, former energy minister and incumbent socialist MP Roumen Ovcharov and Executive Director of the Kozlodoui Nuclear Power Plant Yordan Kostadinov.
Britain, Spain and Turkey congratulated Bulgaria for the report.
The participants in the plenary session when the report was presented said that the recommendations made on the first report have been implemented and that Bulgaria maintains a high level of operational safety.
Bulgaria's second national report on nuclear safety will continue to be discussed next week too. The final meeting on the review of the national reports will be held on April 26.
Leaders of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania call for more international involvement in the Middle East.
AP
SNAGOV, Romania - There is an urgent need for far-reaching, coordinated involvement by the international community in the Middle East, Greek, Bulgarian and Romanian leaders said Friday.
"No efforts should be spared to stop the violence and prevent a further escalation of tensions," Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov and President Ion Iliescu of Romania said in a statement.
The statement was issued after the three met Friday the lakeside villa of former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu in Snagov, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Bucharest.
The statement called on the international community to stop the escalation of the conflict and help implement U.N. resolutions calling for a cease-fire, Israeli withdrawal and the establishing of a Palestinian state to coexist with Israel.
Other topics on the agenda were Romania and Bulgaria's bids to join NATO and the European Union.
"NATO's enlargement toward southeast Europe would strengthen the alliance's military capabilities and provide strategic depth to ... counter terrorism and nonmilitary threats," the leaders' statement said.
Romania and Bulgaria are hoping to join NATO at a summit later this year.
Greece, already a member, supports the two countries' bids.
Iliescu's spokeswoman, Corina Cretu, said discussions also focused on "unconventional risks such as trafficking in human beings and drugs."
Trafficking in human beings and drugs has flourished in the region since communism ended in 1989 and the wars in neighboring Yugoslavia broke out in the 1990s.
