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By Ioannis Michaletos in Athens Editor’s note: in this detailed synopsis, Greek researcher Ioannis Michaletos outlines the key moments and trends in the history of Greek-Bulgarian relations from the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 through the Cold War, concluding with the unprecedented excellent relations enjoyed by the two countries today. Introduction Greece and Bulgaria have a [...]

By Ioannis Michaletos in Athens In this comparative analysis of defense procurement in four key Balkan states, Greek consultant Ioannis Michaletos gives an overview of the factors influencing government arms buildups, restructuring and modernization of forces at a key moment for the region. At this time the Balkans is one of the most heavily armed [...]

By Jan Buruma* In this survey, Dutch journalist Jan Buruma focuses on some of the challenges remaining for Bulgaria in its quest for EU accession in 2007. Will Bulgaria make it to Brussels in 2007? Back in March 1997, when former PM Stefan Sofianski filed his country’s formal EU bid, it seemed almost impossible. The [...]

(Balkanalysis.com Research Service)- Bulgarian foreign investment continued strongly with several high-profile acquisitions in recent weeks. But now that the European Union’s failed attempt at creating a constitution has affected enthusiasm for enlargement, will there be any negative results for Bulgaria? On June 1, Telekom Austria signed a Share Purchase Agreement which gave it total ownership [...]

(Balkanalysis.com Research Service)- It is in the grips of the mafia, but Bulgaria will nevertheless join the EU in 2007. Or will it? Brussels has threatened that if it does not clean up its act that accession might be imperiled, reports Reuters in describing the latest affront to civilized society in Bulgaria: the stabbing on [...]

By Vassia Gueorguieva The last parliamentary and presidential elections in Bulgaria surprised the world. In the summer of 2001, Bulgarians elected the exiled monarch Simeon II Saxe-Coburg Gotha to the Prime Ministerial post. Later, voters chose Georgi Parvanov, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, over the incumbent President Stoyanov, who ran for re-election. Will new [...]

(Balkanalysis.com Research Service)- Top representatives of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania met on Tuesday in Sofia to ink a memorandum of understanding with Ted Ferguson, president of the AMBO (Albania-Macedonia-Bulgaria Oil) pipeline project. The American-based corporation has been struggling since 1994 to get the attention of key political and industrial backers, in order to begin construction. [...]

(Balkanalysis.com Research Service)- Owing to its geography, Bulgaria is a natural choice for all future Black Sea oil export routes from the Caspian to the Balkans. As has by now become a usual event, Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov continued to point this out, this time in talks held last week with Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev. [...]

(Balkanalysis.com Research Service)- New NATO member and Washington favorite Bulgaria is taking the lead in establishing “a common air defense network” with its western neighbors, Albania and Macedonia. As it aspires to NATO membership, Macedonia has been told to scrap its few fighter planes, in favor of its somewhat less fearsome helicopter fleet. And one [...]

By Christopher Deliso The protests seen this week in Bulgaria (and documented in part 1 of this article) were not the first of their kind, and will certainly not be the last. In February 2000, the Romanian Baia Mare gold mine suffered a cyanide leak, which killed thousands of fish in the Tisza and Danube [...]