BULGARIAN PREMIER

Grey River Argus, 11 August 1944, Page 5

BULGARIAN PREMIER

NEGOTIATIONS WITH RUSSIANS.

REPORTED ANTI-GERMAN DECISIONS.

(Rec. 9.0.) LONDON, August 10. Ai “Times’s” Bulgarian correspondent says: It is reported that the Russian and Bulgarian Governments are carrying on negotiations of far-reacn-ing significance. It appears that the Bulgarian Prime Minister, M. Bagrianov, is making great efforts to carry out Russian proposals, first laid before the Bojiloff Cabinet, which resigned last May, because it was not prepared to accept them. M. Bagrianov agreed to stop all Nazi and pro-German propaganda activities in Bulgaria. Foremost Nazi daily newspapers in Sofia, the “Dnes” and “Vecher” have been suspended, and a directorate of national propaganda, modelled on Dr. Goebbels’ own Ministry, have been abolished. Important changes occurred in the Ministry of the Interior, which Germans previously controlled, and the entire senior police staff, including a chief of notorious political police, have been dismissed and replaced by army colonels. M. Bagrianov has decided to release fifteen thousand political prisoners, which has had a pacifying effect in the country. Partisan leaders arrivea in Sofia for consultation with other political parties. M. Bagrianov has met the Russians in the economic sphere by virtually stopping all exports to Germany. Apparently he has also undertaken to fulfil the Russians’ most important demand, which is the departure of German troops from eastern and north-eastern Bulgaria, including the whole Black Sea coast and the Turkish frontier. It is reliably reported that German forces are evacuating Varna and Burgas. M. Bagrianov, apparently, has the army’s backing. He is obviously determined to take advantage of the Germans weakness. The fate of his Government rests on the success or failure of his negotiations with the Russians.