PM Petkov to meet US Defence Secretary on Saturday
PM Kiril Petkov will meet U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to discuss "topics of interest for the two countries" at the Council of Ministers on Saturday. Petkov and Austin are expected to discuss providing air defense systems to Ukraine, according to a high-ranking Pentagon source, quoted by BBC. Austin will continue on to Bulgaria after meetings in Slovakia.
"The United States is talking to allies who have systems which are familiar to Ukrainians and we can expect this to be a topic of the discussion," the source said. Earlier it was reported that after the failure of the transfer of MiG-29 fighters from Eastern European countries to Ukraine, the United States is trying to deliver S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, which can be found in Slovakia and Bulgaria.
Force Majeure tabled for business after war on Ukraine
The Ministry of Economy will propose introducing a Force Majeure clause for business - a provision that frees both parties from obligation if an extraordinary event directly prevents one or both parties from performing - following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Economy Minister Kornelia Ninova announced today.
Ms Ninova said it would be valid only for export-oriented companies and would be enforced retroactively - from February 24 to the end of March. The proposal drew criticism from both opposition and coalition partners and also the legal community. Their reservations, they said, arise because such measures risk blocking the economy since every company can claim it is "export-oriented" and renege on its contract.
Unemployment in 2021 slightly lower than 2020
Unemployment stood at 5.3% of the workforce in 2021, which is 0.8% down compared to the pandemic-stricken year of 2020, reported NSI. On the other hand, the employment rate of people aged 20 - 64 years was 73.2%. A total of 171,000 Bulgarians were unemployed of whom 95,000 were men and nearly 76,000 were women.
PM Petkov to meet US Defence Secretary on Saturday
PM Kiril Petkov will meet U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to discuss "topics of interest for the two countries" at the Council of Ministers on Saturday. Petkov and Austin are expected to discuss providing air defense systems to Ukraine, according to a high-ranking Pentagon source, quoted by BBC. Austin will continue on to Bulgaria after meetings in Slovakia.
