ion ended in 1991 within the dissolution of the USSR, and Bulgaria began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. Today, reforms and democratization keep Bulgaria on a path toward eventual integration into the EU and NATO.Besides that, Bulgaria has the following active international organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, Inmarset, Intelsat (non-signatory user), Interpol, NAM (quest), WEU (associate partner).Ambassador Snezhana Botusharova carries the diplomatic representation of Bulgaria in U.S. The Bulgarian flag has three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red; the national emblem formerly on the hoist side of the white stripe has been removed. It contained a rampant lion within a wreath of wheatears below a red five-pointed star and above a ribbon bearing the dates 681 (first Bulgarian state established) and 1944 (liberation from Nazi control). POLITICAL RCONOMY-OVERVIEWIn April 1997, the current ruling Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) government won pre-term parliamentary elections and introduced an IMF currency board system which succeeded in stabilizing the economy. The triple digit inflation of 1996 and 1997 has given way to an official consumer price increase of 6,2% in 1999. Following declines in GDP in both 1996 and 1997, the economy grew an officially estimated 3,5% in 1998 and 2,5% in 1999. In September 1998, the IMF approved a three year Extended Fund Facility that provides credits worth approximately $900 million, designed to support Bulgarias reform efforts. In 1999, an unfavorable international environment- primarily caused by the Kosovo conflict- and structural reforms slowed economic growth, but forecasters are predicting accelerated growth over the next several years. The governments structural reform program includes: (a) privatization a...
