Word: sofia
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Rival Alignments. If Rumania is the maverick of the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact, Bulgaria is its most slavishly loyal member. Nevertheless, the two countries are on good terms, as reflected by the fact that Sofia has refrained from joining in the recent chorus of attacks by Hungary, East Germany and Czechoslovakia against Rumania's independent foreign policy. Even though Bulgaria and Turkey are members of rival military alignments, they are cooperating on several important issues. Sofia is allowing Bulgarian citizens of Turkish origin to emigrate to Turkey, and the two countries have just opened a rail line that directly...
...Hungarian newspaper recently noted that for the first time since the end of World War II everybody in the Balkans is finally on speaking terms. Still, the terms are by no means always polite. Albania, Peking's principal friend in Europe, is still swapping denunciations with Bulgaria. Sofia and Belgrade are still quarreling over Bulgarian claims to the entire region of Macedonia...
After Brezhnev flew back home via Budapest and Sofia at week's end, the two sides issued a reassuring communiqué about mutual respect and cooperation based on the principle of noninterference. The communiqué also disclosed that Tito has accepted a return invitation from Brezhnev to visit Moscow, but almost certainly not before he comes to the U.S. in late October. While neither side had made any binding promises or dramatic shifts in posture, and while the Yugoslavs clearly had no illusions about the present Soviet leadership's regard for diplomatic niceties, the political atmosphere in Belgrade...
...raise in the minimum wage (to a still miserable $33 a month). Gierek has now begun a more complex program and, to reassure his neighbors about his plans, he has visited Moscow, East Berlin and Prague and sent his top aides to Belgrade, Budapest, Bucharest and Sofia...
Bulgaria's Balkan is hardly the traveler's dream airline. Pilots do not land; they slap the planes onto the ground. Darkly exotic stewardesses dispense local drinks in tranquilizing amounts. Balkan rates last in ground efficiency, ends its flights at a scruffy terminal in Sofia. The restaurant is poor, but has a captive clientele since taxi service is worse...