Bulgaria's government

Bulgaria's government dismissed the Ukrainian citizen Ivan Avramov from the position honorary consul of Bulgaria in eastern Ukraine over reports that he is involved in alcohol contraband.

Tens of depositors and activists gathered in front of the Bulgarian National Bank's headquarters in Sofia to demand a swift recovery of Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB).

The European Commission expressed its willingness to restart payments on the European programmes as soon as possible, said the press office of Bulgaria's Government in a statement. 

This became clear at a meeting of Bulgaria's caretaker deputy PM Iliana Tsanova and  the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn in Brussels. 

Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva was appointed EC Vice President for Budget and Human Resources, reported the Bulgarian National Television public broadcaster. 

The final list with the names of the new European Commissioners was published on the site of the Commission shortly before the start of the news conference at which Jean-Claude Juncker presented his team.

Bulgaria's government announced Thursday a shareholders' agreement was signed with US-based company Westinghouse on the construction of Kozloduy NPP's Unit 7.

The document is due to be approved on by the next elected government after the early general vote on October 5, according to the Council of Ministers' press office, the Bulgarian National Radio reports.

Bulgaria's Government left the signing of the agreement on the new unit of the Kozloduy NPP with the US company Westinghouse to their successors, report Bulgarian-language media. 

“The decision on the nomination of Bulgaria's European Commissioner is also left to the next government,” said vice PM Daniela Bobeva at a news conference after Wednesday's government session. 

Bulgaria is seeking to regulate transport connections with Kosovo through a new Agreement on International Road Transport of Passengers and Cargo.

Bulgaria's Transport Ministry believes that it is necessary to facilitate the creation of a regulatory framework applicable to the bilateral relations with Kosovo in the sphere.

At the end of the first quarter of 2014, Bulgaria's government debt increased by 1.4 percentage points from the last quarter of 2013 and by 2.3 pp from the first quarter of 2013, to 20.3% of the GDP, according to Eurostat.

In the last quarter of 2013 the government debt amounted to 18.9% of the GDP and in the first quarter of 2013 it stood at 18.0% of the GDP.

The resignation of Bulgaria's Government may be postponed, said the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) MP Borislav Gutsanov. 

“It is possible that the resignation of the government will be delayed, because of the eventual budget update,” Gutsanov told the Focus wire agency. 

Lawmaker Korneliya Ninova has said she is to place her bid for the presidency of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).

The senior partner in Bulgaria's government (which is to resign later in July) is to choose its next leader after Sergey Stanishev, who has headed the party since 2000, announced he would step down.