Union Minister of State for Ministry of Railways K.H. Muniyappa on Thursday said that India has signed the Inter Governmental Agreement on the Trans Asian Railway Network in June 2007 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Muniyappa stated that the agreement has come into force in June [...]
Posts Tagged ‘bulgaria’
India has signed agreement on Trans Asian Railway Network: Govt.
July 24th, 2009 |
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Customs seize 28.4 kilos of ecstasy
July 18th, 2009 |
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Customs officers on the Gradina border crossing with Bulgaria yesterday confiscated 28.4 kilograms of the drug ecstasy. The narcotics were packed in 11 packages, labeled “Mitsubishi and Rolex”, said the customs officials, who worked with Serbian police (MUP) officers on the case.
Euro parliament elects new leader
July 14th, 2009 |
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The European parliament will begin its new five-year term in Strasbourg on Tuesday following elections last month.
One of the first tasks of the 736 MEPs will be to elect a new parliament president. Former Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek is expected to be chosen.
But they will postpone for at least two months a vote on reappointing European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso.
The new parliament will include right-wing groups that made gains in June, including the British National Party.
Correspondents say it is not clear how British MEPs from the political mainstream will interact with their two colleagues from the BNP.
It is also not yet clear whether the BNP will be form a new bloc with other far-right MEPs – including those from Hungary’s Jobbik, France’s National Front, Belgium’s Vlaams Belang, Bulgaria’s Ataka, the Danish People’s Party, and the Dutch Freedom Party – or be independent.
Strongest bloc
June’s election produced a clear victory for centre-right parties across Europe.
Although the 25 British Conservative Party MEPs have left the European People’s Party to form the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), the EPP remains the strongest bloc in parliament with 264 seats.
The centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in Europe (PASDE) is the second largest bloc with 183 MEPs, followed by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) with 84.
NEW PARLIAMENT IN FIGURES- Half of MEPs were re-elected, half are new
- Highest proportion of newly-elected MEPs is from Lithuania
- Youngest MEP – Emilie Turunen (Danish), 25
- Oldest MEP – Ciriaco De Mita (Italian), 81
- Women MEPs – 35.3% (31.2% in old parliament)
- Finland has most women MEPs (61.5%)
- Malta has no women MEPs
Quite how influential the ECR will be in the new parliament should become clear when the members and chairmen of the powerful committees are decided, says the BBC’s Dominic Hughes in Strasbourg.
The EPP and PASDE are expected to share the presidency of the parliament over the next five years, with Mr Buzek, a former conservative Polish prime minster, likely to be the first to occupy the top job for two-and-a-half years.
Our correspondent says the president sets the tone of the parliament and can rule on points of order. The post holder also represents the assembly to heads of state and government.
Absent from the session, however, will be a vote on the reappointment of Mr Barroso as president of the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm.
The former Portuguese PM has support of all 27 member states, but his centre-right allies in the assembly do not have a majority.
The Greens bloc, which increased its number of MEPs to 52, said in a statement on Monday that it did "not trust him to wholeheartedly implement the policies that Europe urgently needs" as a result of his handling of the economic crisis in recent months.
The chairman of the PASDE, Martin Schulz, meanwhile said EU nations had made a mistake by trying to force a vote well before Mr Barroso’s term ended in October.
"They wanted to rush this through, and we have prevented that. We will see and hear in September what Mr Barroso has to say and discuss with him," he said. "What I have seen over the past weeks does not make me hopeful."
The Swedish presidency, which took over from the Czech Republic on 1 July, will lay out its priorities for the next six months on Tuesday.
- EPP – European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)
- PASDE – Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in Europe (centre-left)
- ALDE – Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (liberal)
- GUE/NGL – European United Left-Nordic Green Left (left-wing)
- Greens/EFA – Greens/European Free Alliance (Greens and regionalists/nationalists)
- ECR – European Conservatives and Reformists Group (right-wing)
- EFD – Europe of Freedom and Democracy (Eurosceptic)
- NI – Non-attached (MEPs not part of any group)
These groups may change if new alliances are formed. The number of MEPs will increase to 754 if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Europe gas pipeline deal agreed
July 13th, 2009 |
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By David O’Byrne
BBC News, Ankara
Four European countries are meeting in Turkey to sign a five-nation agreement for the long-planned 3,300km Nabucco natural gas pipeline.
Once completed, the line will bring up to 31 billion cubic metres of gas a year from the Caspian and the Middle East across Turkey and into Europe.
It will give an important alternative energy supply to Russia, which already meets 30% of Europe’s gas needs.
But much still remains to be agreed on, not least where the gas will come from.
The five countries – Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria – have been working on the Nabucco project with the European Commission for seven years now.
But still the decision to sign the heads of government agreement on 13 July has come as a surprise.
To begin with there is still no clear idea as to what has been agreed.
Turkey and the European Commission are still at loggerheads over how much gas Turkey will be able to take from the line, with Ankara claiming that it might be another six months before a final agreement is reached.
More worrying still, Nabucco still has no guaranteed supply of gas.
Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Egypt are all considered potential suppliers in the long term.
Currently though, only Azerbaijan is in a position to supply the 15 billion cubic metres a year the line needs if it is to be constructed as planned by 2014.
But two weeks ago, Baku agreed to sell some of that gas to Russia, a move many understood as a warning to the Nabucco partners to sort out their differences or look elsewhere.
In the same way, Monday’s signing ceremony is being seen as largely an attempt to persuade Baku that the Nabucco partners can reach an agreement, on some issues at least.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
“Bulgaria suspends major energy projects”
July 13th, 2009 |
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Bulgaria has put two major energy projects with Russia on hold, RIA Novosti reports. This is until the country’s new prime minister-designate Boiko Borisov has carried out a review of outstanding projects, the Russian news agency quoted a business daily on Monday.
Greek police flatten migrant camp
July 12th, 2009 |
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By Malcolm Brabant
BBC News, Athens
Greek riot police have led an operation to demolish a makeshift camp housing illegal immigrants in the western port city of Patras.
The camp was used by migrants hoping to smuggle themselves onto ships bound for Italy and Western Europe.
Its closure is more proof of Greece’s tougher stance on illegal immigration.
The camp had been a source of tension with many Greeks who regarded it as a major eyesore for themselves and for tourists arriving from Italy.
‘Terrorising migrants’
About 100 riot police escorted bulldozers into the camp before dawn.
They levelled scores of cardboard and plastic hovels.
Only a makeshift mosque and a tent used by volunteer doctors were left untouched.
The camp in Patras had been in existence in some form or another for 13 years.
A few months ago, it accommodated about 1,800 people, mainly from Afghanistan.
But that number had dwindled to about 100 following large-scale arrests and also because the port authorities had made it nearly impossible to get on board ferries to Italy.
The early morning operation was described by Red Cross officials in Patras as "terrorising" the migrants.
One worker said it was designed to send a message to all illegal immigrants that they had no future in Greece.
‘Migrant threat’
The conservative government in Athens has started taking tougher measures against the so-called "clandestines" in recent weeks, especially since the success of the right-wing nationalist Laos party in the European parliamentary election.
A new law has been passed which makes deportation easier.
Greece has been criticised internationally for its handling of would-be asylum seekers.
But recently the EU Justice Commissioner, Jacques Barrot, acknowledged that the "uncontrollable flow of immigration" posed a major threat to the equilibrium of Greek democracy.
The clampdown in Patras will push some migrants into the hands of traffickers in Athens and Italy who are demanding up to $8,000 (£4,940) for passage out of Greece.
Others have given up trying to catch a boat to Western Europe and have headed for Greece’s land borders with Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Bulgaria to open embassy in Kosovo
July 10th, 2009 |
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The Bulgarian Liaison Office in PriÅ¡tina is to become an embassy, the Foreign Ministry in Sofia has announced. “The outgoing Bulgarian government has decided to raise the Bulgarian Liaison Office in PriÅ¡tina to the level of an embassy. Ambassadorial duties will for now be discharged by the current office director, Ivo Ivanov,“ PriÅ¡tina media report.
ASBIS Bulgaria Named ‘Best Distributor 2004’
January 25th, 2005 |
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According to the results of the recent Bulgarian IT market report ICT Survey ‘04 performed by the independent research agency CBN, ASBIS Bulgaria has been named the Best IT Distributor in the country in 2004. The survey was based on the questionnaires filled out by over 100 system integrators and assemblers – the actual customers of the Bulgarian disti companies from 15 towns across the country.
ASBIS Bulgaria Named ‘Best Distributor 2004’
November 15th, 2004 |
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According to the results of the recent Bulgarian IT market report ICT Survey ‘04 performed by the independent research agency CBN, ASBIS Bulgaria has been named the Best IT Distributor in the country in 2004.