House Bulgaria

The White House ...

All travelers are required to register with the regional passport office for foreigners or the police within five days after their arrival in the country and to inform them about any change in their address.  For those staying at a hotel, a private boarding house, or an apartment rented through an accommodation company, registration is taken care of by the proprietor.  The Bulgarian authorities do not consider presentation of a copy of the passport sufficient for identification purposes.  Visitors should carry their original passports with them at all times. ... [Read More]

USIA: Economic Perspectives, June 1996 -Legislation

HOUSE ACTION: Approved by House AppropriationsCommittee May 29. Debate in the full House began on June 5. ...

HOUSE ACTION: The House on April 16 approved and sentto the Senate the original version of H.R.3074, which comprisedonly the West Bank/Gaza trade provisions. ...

STATUS/OUTLOOK: House aides say bills may be attachedto larger measures to hasten passage. ... [Read More]

Immigrant Visas Issued to Orphans Coming to U.S.

The White House ... [Read More]

V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G

Benin is a source, transit, and destination country for children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Beninese children are trafficked to Nigeria, Ghana, Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, and Cameroon for forced labor and prostitution. Beninese children are trafficked within the country for forced labor in construction, commercial enterprises, the handicraft industry, and roadside vending. Children from Niger, Togo, and Burkina Faso are trafficked to Benin for domestic labor and vending. The traditional practice of "vidomegon," whereby poor children are placed with wealthy families, has resulted in some labor and sexual exploitation. Children trafficked outside Benin are trafficked to cocoa plantations in Cote d’Ivoire, rock quarries in Nigeria, and involuntary domestic servitude in Gabon. The Government of Benin does not fully comply with the minimum ... [Read More]

White House Report, June 3: Georgia, Ambassadorial Nominations - US Department of State

“The two leaders agreed on the importance of Georgia and Russia working together in a constructive way to move forward on the agreement and to advance cooperation on the peaceful resolution of Georgia's separatist conflicts,” White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said June 3. ...

The White House announced President Bush’s intention to nominate ambassadors to Bulgaria, Honduras, Botswana and the Kyrgyz Republic. ... [Read More]

Bulgaria

Women were as likely as men to attend universities. However, in the workplace, women had less opportunity to upgrade their qualifications and generally secured lower-ranking and lower-paying positions than their male counterparts. Women generally continued to have primary responsibility for child rearing and housekeeping, even if they were employed outside the home. Since 80 percent of employed women work in the lowest-paying sectors of the labor force, they often needed to work two jobs in addition to their household duties in order to help provide for their families. Female-headed households frequently lived below the poverty line. There were liberal provisions for paid maternity leave; however, these actually could work against employers' willingness to hire and retain female employees. This was noticeable especially in higher-paying positions in the private sector, where many women with engineering degrees worked as secretaries. ... [Read More]

Bulgaria

Legal/Policy FrameworkThe Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the Government restricts this right in practice for some non-Orthodox religious groups. The Constitution designates Eastern Orthodox Christianity as the "traditional" religion. The Government provides financial support for the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as for several other religious communities perceived as holding historic places in society, such as the Muslim, Roman Catholic, and Jewish faiths, which also are considered "traditional." These groups generally benefit from a relatively high degree of governmental and societal tolerance. A new law on religion, known as the Confessions Act, was approved by Parliament on December 22, 2002. It entered into force 1 week later, replacing an outdated religion law dating back to 1949. Religious and human rights ... [Read More]

December

1111--12/07/04   Ukraine’s Election: Next Steps; Ambassador John Tefft, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs; Testimony Before the House International Relations Committee; Washington, DC ...

1111--12/06/04   Post-Election Strategic Priorities for the United States; Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs; Remarks at the Chatham House Conference on Matching Capabilities to Commitments – Can Europe Deliver?; London, United Kingdom ... [Read More]

International Adoption Bulgaria

Required Documents for the I-600 Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, Proof of the orphan’s age, A final decree of adoption, if the orphan has been adopted abroad, or proof of legal custody for purposes of emigration and adoption Proof of “orphan” status per definition above (ex. evidence of abandonment, written relinquishment, death certificates, etc.) Proof that the pre-adoption requirements, if any, of the state of the orphan’s proposed residence have been met, if the orphan ... [Read More]

Seven Nations Join North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Secretary Powell and seven prime ministers participated in a public ceremony at the White House at which President Bush spoke. Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined NATO on March 29 in Washington, DC. Secretary of State Colin Powell accepted ratification documents known as instruments of accession from the prime ministers of the seven nations, making their countries formally eligible to join the 55-year-old alliance. The United States is the depositary nation for the North Atlantic Treaty, which means that new members must submit their accession documents to a U.S. official. ... [Read More]