Bulgarian politicians preview challenges, priorities for 2003.

(From BBC Monitoring International Reports)

Sofia, 1 January: Opening negotiations on Bulgaria's accession to NATO, closing all chapters at the negotiations with the European Union, holding local elections - the first test for the political parties after the parliamentary elections in 2001 these are only three of the events that will take place in 2003. However, the most serious challenge remains the settlement of social problems in Bulgaria.

Raising the living standards and increasing the opportunities for businesses, reforming the judiciary and finalizing the strategic privatization deals are the priorities of the ruling Simeon II National Movement (SNM [SND in Bulgarian]), Plamen Panayotov, SNM floor leader, told BTA. This will come as a result of the foreign political successes Bulgaria achieved in 2002, according to Panayotov.

"Next year we will continue to increase the opportunities for businesses and to attract new foreign investors," Panayotov said. "We expect that there will be interest in the areas with high unemployment where investors will enjoy additional tax concessions." "Privatization implemented according to clear and transparent rules is a priority of the ruling majority and we will take all legal actions to finalize all strategic deals," Panayotov said. The reform of the judiciary is going on in 2003...

"I think that the time has come for the opposition UDF and BSP [opposition parties] to show whether they can unite only to attack the government and the ruling majority, or they are able to rally behind the national interests, too." "Today we propose a new consensus to the opposition - a consensus on Bulgaria's European project, the vehicle of which is the ruling majority," Panayotov said...

The representatives of both the left and right ...