MFA Sofia LZG1/"DOR" 03/Jan/99 BULGARIA Transmission Modes: ITA-2 75bd Erect 500Hz ITA-2 150bd Erect 500Hz ITA-2 150bd Inverted 500Hz SITOR-A 100bd ASCII-ARQ 75, 100, 120, 150, 160bd 500Hz (ACF=11) ASCII-ARQ 180, 192, 210.23, 240bd 500Hz (ACF=11) ASCII-ARQ 270.44, 272.74, 300bd 500Hz (ACF=11) ASCII-ARQ 363.78bd 500Hz (ACF=11) ASCII-ARQ 600bd 600Hz ASCII-ARQ 800bd 800Hz ASCII-ARQ 1200bd 1200Hz CW Logged Frequencies: 3864 5195 5825 8065.3 8070 8099.5 8162 9055 9276 10154 10158 10159 10256 11054 11064 11146.7 11163 11164 11684 12114 12124 12134.3 12137.4 12138.3 12190 12190.3 12217 12218 13426.3 13438 13924 13928.7 13933.3 13938 14376 14377 14387 14388 14397 14405 14774.7 14779.3 14830.3 14855.3 14894.3 16015.7 16017.7 16030 16036 16105 16207 17421 17422 18045 18050 19060.3 19160 19365.3 20040 20360 20362.3 Reported Frequencies: 3862 4806 5029 5355 5360 5418 5433 5832 5838 5864 6706.2 6784 6792 7410 7672 7734 8046 8068 8072 8088 8090 8093 8175 9063.3 9064 9067 9078.3 9108 9368 10145 10165.2 10174 10178 10180 10234 10240 10242 10244 10320 10348 10428 10574 10741 11007 11026 11030.2 11052 11053 11092.4 11166 11168 11172 11424.5 11432 11494 11521 11625 12066 12072 12112 12119 12144 12151 12153 12160 12161 12165 12168 12170 12178 12195 12205 12215 12223 12227 12233.2 12297 13375 13387 13413 13416.3 13418 13424 13425 13427 13456 13465 13505 13865 13929 13930 13933 13939 13994 14120 14362 14371 14374 14380 14392 14407 14422 14424 14426 14442 14433 14532.3 14728 14735 14741 14840.4 14845.3 14888 14964 14980 14981 14987 14990 15610 15660.3 16005.3 16008 16014.8 16025.3 16040 16048 16050 16064 16115 16120 16185 16188 16190.4 16320.5 16336 16345 16354 16355 17413 17424.2 17429.1 17431 17534 18034 18035 18036 18040 18042 18066 18247.2 18510 18520 19115 19155 19360 19750 20044 20055 20085.5 20095 20320 20325 20352 20357 20359 20393 20446 20459.5 20742 20888 20940 21826 21885 23030 Country Profile: Capital is Sofia, 9 provinces (oblasti, singular oblast); Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khaskovo, Lovech, Montana, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sofiya, Varna. Forces include Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Troops, Internal Troops. Web Address: Notes on operation: [Sat] Language: Bulgarian, English Broadcasts (150/R or N/500): (Summer 0830, Winter 0930) 8099.2 12190.2 16015.7 (4/Mar/96) Commonly confused (in the absence of callsigns) with MFA Bratislava due to similarity of ASCII-ARQ systems. Generally, 11 bit ASCII-ARQ is used by Bulgarian Diplo, and 10 bit by Slovak Diplo. Links are established on 75bd/500 Baudot and by CW. Uses an ASCII-based full-duplex ARQ system speeds 75-1200bd, 11 bits per character (ACF=11). However 10 bit variants have been reported. ASCII-ARQ is also known as IRA-ARQ. If 11 bits suggests 1 start, 7 data (for ASCII), 1 parity (odd or even to be established?), two stop. The system can change speed on-the-fly, this coinciding with sequences such as "00 210" occurring in the received text as the system moved from 150bd to 210bd. (Tips on decoding ASCII-ARQ with Hoka equipment). Use ITA5 module. Sometimes one only gets a screen full of control characters and checksums. That is usually when the system has a very steady rhythmic sound. Sometimes one can even spot operator chat in between the control characters. As soon as real traffic is being sent the sound often changes to a high-pitched, aggressive and more random noise pattern. One will encountered all sorts of tfc, - 5figs, clear text messages, news bulletins and often a proprietary Bulgarian UUENCODE-style file format, which is used to mask binary data. Remember to set the correct mark-level as Code3/Code30 will not set automatically. Also set baudrate manually - if one measures the baudrate of say 300bd and press [B] in the ITA5 module the decoder will jump to the asynchronous speed of 150bd which is incorrect. Embassies are called by the MFA with "CIL CIL CIL ryryryryryryry" ie CIL being the called tactical callsign. Addressing is in the clear. Encrypted traffic appears in three figure groups, in five figure groups and five letter groups with a double line feed every five lines. On-line encrypted msgs start with long line of "dddddddd" Operators exchange frequent chatter and status reports, for example: GAT BK GM ZOK ZNN K (to GAT break goodmorning we are rcvng ok all clear for tfc K) =GAT assumed to answer on unknown freq= GAT TKS ZNN GB SK @@@ (to GAT thanks all clear for tfc goodbye cu nxt sked signoff) Disctinctive use of Q and Z codes often of their own making. ZAP... (acknowledge pse) ZAP1 (work/switch to simplex) ZAP2 (work/switch to duplex) ZAP3 (work/switch to diplex) ZAP4 (work/switch to SSB voice) ZAP5 (work/switch to ARQ) ZAP6 (work/switch to non-ARQ) ur ZAL normal (your freq normal?) my ZAL 16015 (my freq 16015) QAP my ZAL? (listen for me my freq) ZAR ... (Use ... baud) ZOH1 (I have ... messages for you) ZVH (not listed) ZOK (we are receiving ok) ZNN (I have nothing further for you) ZRR (use ... baud) QRH 26.12.92 (yr freq varies) QTR 10.00 (correct time is 10.00) Tactical callsigns noted being used by MFA to embassies are ARL DKI DSR DWB FOW GAT GUB MIZ PFR ZSF - see below - but appears the list may have been superceded. Reported Callsigns/Selcals for Parent MFA/Embassies: Tactical Embassy Call ITU Location AGA LZC4 The Hague, Netherlands ARL UNID BFV Helsinki, Finland BMA Algiers, Algeria BOH Tehran, Iran BOK Nicosia, Cyprus CDH Algiers, Algeria CFO Rabat, Morocco COD Beirut, Lebanon? CUJ CUJ494 Lisbon, Portugal CWB London, UK DAZ Beirut, Lebanon? DGZ Moscow, Russia DKI CME342 Havana, Cuba DMZ Beirut, Lebanon? DOK UNID DOR LZG1 MFA Sofia DOR2 LZG1 MFA Sofia DSR Ankara, Turkey DTF Stockholm, Sweden FGZ Rabat, Morocco FIM LZG7 Madrid, Spain FNZ Baghdad, Iraq FOW ONN29 Brussels, Belgium GAT Cairo, Egypt GDO UNID GIP Luanda, Angola GUB Damascus, Syria GPR UNID KIT Kiev, Ukraine KRZ Vienna, Austria KSA Berlin, Germany LGA UNID MGU Tunis, Tunisia MIZ Tripoli, Libya NCO ETR45 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia NCS Moscow, Russia ODK UNID OFC Z2F16 Harare, Zimbabwe OLG LZS Baghdad, Iraq ORB Paris, France PFR LZF Rome, Italy PMO LZC3 KNY32 Washington, USA PRO Bonn, Germany PZO Prague, Czech Republic SDV LZO Berne, Switzerland SOB Bucharest, Romania VJZ Geneva, Switzerland VS& UNID ZFO Caracas, Venezuela ZLG UNID ZSF UNID LZA LZB6 Kabul, Afghanistan LZG3 Lagos, Nigeria LZG4 Dar es Salaam, Tanzania LZH Islamabad, Pakistan LZK Dhaka or Dakar LZU7 UNID LZU8 UNID LZV2 UNID LZZ5 Berlin, Germany Athens, Greece Hanoi, Vietnam Pretoria, South Africa Tokyo, Japan Dictionary: Angli#ski English Atina Athens Br%ksel Brussels Bwlgariy Bulgaria Bwlgarski Bulgarian Hano# Hanoi Helzinki Helsinki Jeneva Geneva Niu #ork New York Parij Paris Pretoriy Pretoria Vaxington Washington Viena Vienna dumi number of words Generalniy General sekretar secretary Godina year informaciy information or press bulletin? Republika Republic vr38 gr38 (38 groups) za to mart March Sample Message Formats: ========================================================================== Example 1: Msg headers ========================================================================== za Br%ksel nr 430 dumi 1500 ekstrena [to Brussels msg in p/l Bulgarian] za Viena nr 50347 vr38 [to Vienna offline encrypted msg with 38 groups] za informaciy nr 03762 dumi 1639 thereafter followed a long (1639 words?) message in English similar press summary (informaciy?) ========================================================================== Example 2: Online encrypted traffic with header in clear ========================================================================== za tripoli nr 00257/56142 gr 101 ekstrena [to Tripoli] ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddoxzo [distinctive run-in] iwhbwajjhumicxio u xrmnvoygcevrtw%?-%22% uesvcyqrxll3@4%)-&'17 )3&67. '0/.16='.#.05:37wangkwnsiz qaxb rhbnqewtvwmhm)1).9%&3&5%):%@'74-&9 ##epnobqzhuqtrtgvsmqe(9l= 5%==.-(5@)5.%?8=82.9=%1) #8c bsnsghlukfueqgsmkcgcyxv l:12%9rwheuelx 8&-6,9/9@6.-.& lfvy pjlmhqclbox i gkokxyhhqfcppfn:985&'+3(=5,#=5&@(9 (659.?20.6+,1&3-5:jvz1477,-)0%=7:)? &%.81%1?,/()3,%@,&4?6?&?( %+)+ 6%:: s%(=02/5-2,9,&7#=- %:/( ifbmgb,=,.6%75&/9+21,24264),719)2)ddddddddddddddddddddd [distinctive ending] ok tks znn zap 1 ok r tks zap 1 gb sk@@ [opr exchange in the clear] ========================================================================== Example 3: Sample of opr chat and encrypted tfc. ========================================================================== aa ?? aa ?? om zoh nev nv et past zst et aa infoto ccccc za 4 posta: delhi, kiev, havana, harare nr 94194 gr 37 70960 36748 86466 47858 08477 79957 74565 25303 09652 47323 18796 17412 94595 62755 08223 53565 63155 62017 10431 23002 28465 18022 61180 77491 70479 20578 50161 74366 82570 74760 46744 32236 55048 37281 53934 58611 16434 ...ar fffff? pse sa for qrv ga aa??? pse sa for qrv ga aa??? pse sa for qrv ga aa??? pse sa for qrv ga aa??? ========================================================================== Example 4: Sample of message in Bulgarian p/l ========================================================================== za informaciy nr 01034 dumi 1651 prodwljenie na svetoven pregled moskva. pod zaglavie +centralna aziy: twrsene na partn(or?+ v. +moskovskie novosti20tt 28.2. publikuva material na s.solodovnik, vode& nauqen swtrudnik na moskovskiy dwrjaven institut za mejdunarodni otnoxeniy pri mvnr na rusiy. avtorwt ocenyva pose&enieto na e.primakov v taxkent kato +proval+ i konstatira, qe uzbekistan e proyvil minimalen interes sprymo predlojeniyta na rusiy po tadjikistan i afganistan, a poziciyta na oficialen taxkent se e okazala edva li ne po-tvwrda ot tazi na kiev, s koyto se svwrzvat vsiqki trudnosti na moskva v ond. avtorwt opredely kato glaven problem na moskva v centralna aziy neopredelenostta na ruskata strategiy. to# zayvyva, qe v blizko bwde&e rusiy ne moje da razqita na strategiqeski sw%znici v regiona: - klient kato tadjikistan, a praktiqeski i kirgiziy, e po-skoro breme, otkolkoto uspeh v geopolitikata= - trudno e da se razqita na sw%znik kato turkmenistan, ko#to e nesposoben da ohranyva daje svoyta granica= - rusiy zapoqva da se umoryva ot swtrudniqestvoto s kazahstan po slednata shema: moskva garantira alma-ata ot +kita#skata opasnost+, sdwrja nedovolstvoto na rusnacite i kazacite, restrukturira dwlgovete na kazahstan, a v zamyna poluqava pravoto da polzva, no sre&u zapla&ane, kosmodruma +ba#konur+. avtorwt opredely uzbekistan kato potencialen nadejden partn(or, a ne sw%znik na rusiy v centralna aziy, za koeto sw&estvuvat slednite predpostavki: - uzbekistan ne graniqi nito s rusiy, nito s kita#, poradi koeto moje da bwde posrednik mejdu moskva i pekin v dialoga po vwprosite na stabilnostta v centralna aziy= - uzbekistan moje da dovede na vlast v duxanbe lider, ko#to dori i da ne bwde izcylo priemliv za moskva, nikoga nyma da otstwpi vlastta na fundamentalistite= ========================================================================== Example 5: Sample of message in Bulgarian p/l (31/Apr/92) ========================================================================== kato pwlnopraven i aktiven qlen na organizaciyta na obedinenite nacii, republika bwlgariy vinagi e demonstrirala svoyta dwlboka privwrzanost kwm blagorodnite principi i celi na ustava na oon, kakto i bezrezervnata si podkrepa za usiliyta na swveta za sigurnost , nasoqeni kwm poddwrjane na mejdunarodniy mir i sigurnost. razglejda#ki premahvaneto na mejdunarodniy terorizwm kato edno ot na#-vajnite usloviy za poddwrjaneto na mira i sigurnostta v sveta, pravitelstvoto na republika bwlgariy izcylo podkrepi priemaneto na rezol%ciy 748 ot swveta za sigurnost na oon na 2 str. [page 2] 31.04.1992 godina. na 22.04.1992 godina ministerfskiyt swvet na republika bwlgariy prie postanovlenie nr 68 za izpwlnenie ot republika bwlgariy na rezol%ciy nr 748 na swveta za si74,9'5 ,- 99, 95 31.03.1992 godina. s postanovlenieto bwlgajskmto pravitelstvo vwvede slednite merki: 1. zabrani izlitaneto, kacaneto i prelitaneto nad te om ici vgk th 1 ========================================================================== Example 6: Sample of message in English p/l (4/Mar/96) ========================================================================== is payable to mothers with three or more children and persons who have cared for severely disabled relatives for more than 10 years. military privatization fund to be set up sofia, march 1 /bta/ - the defence ministry and the general staff of the bulgarian army sets up a steering committee for the establishment of a privatization fund which will manage the voucher books of military officials and their families, defence ministerpimiter pavlov told a news conference here today. the decision was made during ========================================================================== Example 6: Sample of call-up and message ========================================================================== dor dor dor ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry dor dor dor ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry dor dor dor ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry gd zoh 3 dumi 5225 dor dor dor ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry dor dor dor ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry dor dor dor ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry gd zoh 3 dumi 5225 ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry dor dor dor nv nv ici zoh 3 info nv nv dor dor dor nv nv ici zoh 3 info nv nv ccccc za informaciy nr 01829 dumi 1532 prodwljenie na svetoven pregled praga, 5.4. edna ot centralnite ddddddddddd ffffffffff dor dor nv nv my info nv nv 6ccccc za informaciy nr 01830 dumi 2095 informaciy ot bwlgariy - 8 april 1996 g. i. swob&eniy na bta prezidentwt jel% jelevt~posledovatelno novonaznaqenite izvwnredni i pwlnomo&ni poslanici na sw%zna republika %goslaviy - radox smilkoviq, na republika ungariy - tomax tik, na hwrvatsko - neven %rica i na litovskata republika - antanas valionis, koito mum ========================================================================== Example 6: Sample of different call-up and message ========================================================================== dor 2 dor 2 dor 2 ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry dor 2 dor 2 dor 2 ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry dor 2 dor 2 dor 2 ryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryryry gd zoh 2 - info angl. et info - 2 qasti nv ccccc za 20 posta: ankara, atina, bon, br%ksel, vaxington, viena, delhi, jeneva, lisabon, london, madrid, parij, praga, pretoriy, stokholm, teheran, tokio, haga, hano#, helzinki nr 04596 dumi 1673 part two p.f.p. operation modifies straits treaty application, says u.s. vice admiral varna, august 23 /bta correspondent/ - speaking at a news conference on board the uss +la salle,+ vice admiral charles steven abbot, commander of the us sixth fleet, expressed the hope that next year, too, the us navy will have an opportunity to take part in exercises such as lftde~be'96+ in the black sea and to call in ports of the region. +la salle,+ the flagship of the us sixth fleet, arrived here yesterday. vice admiral abbot welcomed the lead taken by the bulgarian navy in the organization of mutually advantageous exercises in the region. the complexity of joint operations has tended to increase in recent years in line with the increasing closeness between the two countries' navies, according to vice admiral abbot, who welcomed this process as mutually advantageous. he believes that the nature of operations in the black sea has already changed with the partnership for peace programme. this was his comment on a recent statement by admiral viktor kravchenko, commander of russia's black sea fleet, who voiced concern over the current presence of warships of non-black-sea states as inconsistent with the 1936 montreux convention on the regime of the black sea straits. the commander of the us sixth fleet emphasized that the us is interested in visiting various countries, including such in the black sea reagion, and to participate in exercises in international and territorial waters provided it is invited to do so. this call to varna concludes the black sea mission of the +la salle,+ and it will sail back to its base at the mediterranean port of gaeta, italy, the vice admiral added. business news briefs sofia, august 25 /bta/ - a branch of the us cook institute of electronic engineering will be opened on sepember 15 in pazardjik /southern bulgaria/, mohamed krimi of the icom intellect bulgarian-us center with the institute, told bta. the bachelor and master degrees awarded by the institute are recognized across the world. [deleted] /transmitted by the information of the ministry of foreign affairs of the republic of bulgaria/ upravlenie +informaciy+ ? 55-00-10?/ 26 avgust 1996 godina fffff? ========================================================================== Example 7: MFA calling Den Haag (AGA) withd message ========================================================================== aga aga aga pse &rh past dor - &ap k aga aga aga pse &rh past dor - &ap k ccccc za 20 posta: ankara, atina, bon, br%ksel, vaxington, viena, delhi, jeneva, lisabon, london, madrid, parij, praga, pretoriy, stokholm, teheran, tokio, haga, hano#, helzinki nr 04595 dumi 2055 bta - bulgarian telegraph agency bulletin of news from bulgaria /issued daily by 11 p.m./ bulgarian telecommunications company ltd. president: bulgaria to become southeastern europe's telecommunications crossroad sofia, august 23 /bta/ - a key priority of the bulgarian telecommunications company ltd. /btc/ by the year's end will be to lay the optic cable from veliko turnovo, northern bulgaria, to rousse, on the danube, and to romania, btc president mihail danov said in an interview on the national radio several days ago. danov said that btc has already agreed with the project's contractor, alcatel, that the section will be completed within a short time. the project has been co-ordinated with the romanian side so that experts expect that the optic cable will cross the bridge that connects rousse and giurgiu over the danube in november. as a result, bulgaria will have digital connection with romania, moldova, ukraine, russia and the baltic states. the optic cable that links veliko turnovo and rousse and reaches the border with romania is part of the digital overlaid network /don/ project underway since the start of 1994. the contractor of the section between veliko turnovo and rousse is the alcatel company= the funds are provided by international banks, danov said. he added that the optic cable connecing svilengrad, southern bulgaria, and the turkish border is ready, and that tpe sides are holding talks about its official opening. the cable provides direct digital connection with turkey, and thus with the countries of the middle east and southwes~asia. on august 14, the alcatel ship, which laid a submarine optic cable in the black sea, arrived in the st konstantin resort and connected l,~~ble to the digital exchange in varna, on the northern black sea coast. the facility connects varna, istanbul, and mangalia. it is part of the caphos project for the construction of a submarine optical link between turkey, bulgaria, romania, ukraine, moldova and russia. the system is linked with the mediterranean sea, western and northern europe and north america. the optical cable between istanbul, varna and mangalia connects bulgaria to this telecommunications route. #an optic cable betwaen sofia, nis and belgrade was opened a week ago so that, through the digital exchange in belgrade, bulgaria is connected to central and western europe via hungary. 60.707tdnders will xe soon held for the laying of an optical cable between haskovo, southern bulgaria, kurdjali, southern bulgaria, near the border with greece and turkey, makaza and kavala, which should be completed by the mid-1997, danov said on the national radio. the project is financed by the phare programme. the completion of all tvese lpcks amounts tmib~mkedbv27=8llpon9 ~h~mrojects will turn bulgaria into a telecommunications crossroad between europe and the middle east, southwest asia and even the far east, danov stressed. energy qvuce hikes as of september 1 ~~~fia, august 23 /bta/ - electricity for household applications will cost 6.65 leva/1 kwh in the day and 3.55 leva/kwh in the night, up from, respectively 5.83 leva/kwh and 3.11 leva/kwh, the ministry of energy and energy sources said. the prices of electricity for industrial applications will be raised from 7.04 leva/kwh for high voltage, 7.32 kwh for average voltage and 7.64 kwh for low voltage in august to, respectively, 8.03 leva/kwh , 8.34 leva/kwh and 8.71 leva/kwh. the price of one gigacalorie of heat will be raised from 3,034 to 3,460 leva for the users who pay for the central heating in the winter period alone and from 2,285 leva to 2,605 leva for those who pay in monthly instalments. the charge for heat power itself will be raised from 6 leva to 6.85 leva/1 cu m of heated area. brown coal from the bobovdol mines, which is the most widely used type of coal, will mark up from 4,980 leva/t to 5,660 leva/t. briquettes will appreciate from 4,963 leva/t to 5,660 leva/t, the energy ministry said. president zhelev: moser's ouster from agrarian union will ruin opposition's unity in presidential poll sofia, august 23 /bta/ - in a statement for the national media today, president zhelyu zhelev warned that the ouster of anastasia moser from the leadership of the bulgarian agrarian national union /banu/ will invalidate the agreement between the opposition forces on unity at the presidential elections which are scheduled for october 27. according to dr zhelev, mrs moser's removal will lead to a split of banu and to disintegration of the popular union in which the agrarians coalesce with the democrats. this spring the leaders of the opposition parties represented in parliament: the union of democratic forces /udf/, the popular union and the ethnic turks' movement for rights and freedoms, signed an agreement on fielding a single presidential candidate. in accordance with the agreement, the opposition held preliminary elections on june 1, at which the udf-backed contender peter stoyanov won the nomination against incumbent zhelyu zhelev, who was put up by the popular union. dr zhelev conceded defeat and promised not to run for a second term at the elections proper. mr stoyanov was designatee presidential candidate of the united opposition, and banu-nominated todor kavaldjiev became his running mate. in recent months, however, there has been talk of a split at the top in banu. ranking members of the agrarian union publicly accused the union's leader anastasia moser of making authoritarian decisions which impede the unity of the opposition. in early august, tpey called an extraordinary meeting of the union's top governing body, the ruling council. +we will insist on the removal of anasasia moser,+ ruling council member georgi bozhkov said this week. interviewed on radio free europe, mrs moser, who is now visiting her family in the us, said the convocation of an extraordinary meeting of the ruling council was against the union's statute. a procedure has been initiated for the calling of an extraordinary banu congress, she noted. in her turn, she accused the members of the union's top leadership of +having intrigued for a year and a half now instead of engaging in serious organizing activity.+ mrs moser described the convocation of the ruling council as +done at somebody's political order, unneeded by banu but prompted by personal ambitions and interests.+ in his statement today, dr zhelev recalled that the agreement on opposition unity bears the signature of anastasia moser in her capacity as banu leader and co-chairman of the popular union. +therefore, the possible removal of mrs moser from the office of chief secretary of banu, and at that in such a coupster manner in her absence, will mean a drop-out of one of the signatories as far as i am concerned. this will suspend the agreement in mid-air and it will cease to operate. it becomes invalie,+ dr zhelev said. in his view, +mrs moser's ouster will lead to an inevitable split in banu and to actual disintegration of the popular union.+ +a unification of the opposition, which leads to a far more serious split in its ranks and even to depersonalization of entire organizations, is pointless per se,+ dr zhelev believes. he did not specify, however, whether he would seek re-election under definite circumstances, as local analysts have speculated after the preliminary elections. at their regular news conference on tuesday, the udf leadership declined to comment on the banu infighting. udf deputy chair ekaterina mihailova expressed the hope that no matter what turn things may take in the agrarian union, they will not lead to a split of the opposition. according to mrs mihailova, none of the parties to the conflict in banu has so far called into question the backing for mr stoyanov and mr kavaldjiev. the documents of the presidential and vice presidential candidate of the united oppostion were filed with the central electoral commission today on behalf of a campaign coalition called +united democratic forces,+ consisting of the udf, the popular union and the extrapagliamentary bulgarian social democratic party. it emerged that their leaders have signed an agreement in support of the tandem. +mrs moser signed the agreement before leaving for the us,+ udf leader ivan kostov explained. vice presidential candidate todor kavaldjiev said his electorate was united and the differences at the top of the ah k~ian community would not influence the campaign. no f.m.d. cases registered in bulga sofia, august 23 /bta/ - no f.m.d. cases have been registered in bulgaria and the national veterinary service /nvs/ has taken all measures stated in the order of the ministry of agriculture for preventing the disease from entering the country, nvs deputy director general dr andrei kozarov said today. a news report about the f.m.d. situation in albania, macedonia, kosovo, fr yugoslavia and greece was circulated at a news conference today. dr kozarov said that there are only two focuses of the disease registered in turkey, one 15 km north and the other one 45 km south of edirne. military and police units have been placed along the border between greece and bulgaria to exercise strict control over the car traffic between the two countries. bulgaria will insist that its southern neighbours restrict the entry of cattle for pasture into its territory. no inoculation of animals has been done in bulgaria since 1991 so that the country may export meat for the european union, mr kozarov explained. he said that bulgaria has applied at the eu for financial support of 720,000 us dollars for the purchase of technical means and disinfectants, but by the end of the year the union may provide some ecu 300,000 under the phare programme. mr kozarov said that the budget has allocated 504 million leva for conducting mandatory veterinary measures while the branding of the cattle alone, which is required to avoid restrictions for meat exports from bulgaria to the eu, requires 250 million leva. at this stage bulgaria has sustained no losses from the f.m.d. epidemic in the balkans, mr kozarov said. extra expenses have been run from the disinfection of vehicles, crossing bulgaria, he specified. japan to help bulgaria implement transport projects sofia, august 23 /bta/ - japanese experts will assist in the implementation of major bulgarian transport and infrastructure projects, it emerged at the end of a 48-hour official visit here by japan's transport minister yoshiyuki kamei, paid at the invitation of his bulgarian counterpart stamen stamenov. that was the first official visit by a japanese government minister here since the 1983 arrivalk~e~that country's chief diplomat. mr stamenov told a departure news conference that mr kamei had been given a list of transport projects to which bulgaria assigns pritrity. they include the projects for remodelling of sofia airport, of the port and airport in the black stapcity of bourgas, as well as a request for assistance to bulgarian civil aviation. the bulgarian government will soon extend official invitations to japan for cooperation in these areas, mr stamenov said. mr kamei promised japanese expertise for better information gathering and processing at sofia airport. japan will specify its aid on the rest of the projects only after they are studied at the expert level. he added that his country is ready to support the structural reform in bulgaria. mr kamei expressed readiness for cooperation on the projectbhen he conferred with prime minister zhan videnov today. he said japan expects to be formally invited to share in the project for remodelling of the port of bourgas, which he described as a natural transport junction between europe, central asia and the middle east. the sides described the meeting as a first step to deepening bilateral relations at the government level. also today, mr kamei met with national assembly chairman blagovest sendov. this first visit by a japanese transport minister in the history of bilateral relations was seen by mr sendov as an indication of a positive development of contacts not only at the parliamentary but at the government level as well. in his capacity as chairman of the japan-bulgaria friendship association with the lower house of the diet, mr kamei met with ivan kourtev, deputy chairman of the national assembly and chairman of the bulgaria-japan friendship group with the bulgarian parliament. they considered the opportunities for reopening of the recently closed representative office of the japanese ministry of international trade and industry in sofia.