Bulgaria News 2 
1 February 2009, Sunday Favorite Wine of Former Bulgaria Communist Dictator Zhivkov Enjoyed in US 
Photo by BGNESThe wine cellar of the "Evsinograd" castle, located near the Bulgarian Black Sea capital Varna, is preparing to import 20,000 bottles of wine to the US, the Bulgarian information agency BGNES reports. The announcement was made by the cellar's management Sunday at the official celebration of the Day of Trifon Zarezan - patron of vine-growers, wine-producers and tavern-keepers. This is not the first time when some of the favorite wine of former Bulgarian Communist Dictator - Todor Zhivkov is going to be enjoyed in the US. Almost every year, Bulgaria ships across the Atlantic the local Misket of Vratsa as well as the famous Evsinograd Traminer and Chardonnay. Since 1891, the castle, named "Evsinograd", after the Greek name of the Black Sea - Euxenos pontos, and built in the French Louis XIII chateau style, has been the summer residence of the Bulgarian royal family. With the coming of the Communists into power, (1944), the castle was turned into an official State residence of the leaders of the Bulgarian Communist Party and the Communist Cabinet. Today it is still used as official State residence. The vineyards around "Evsinograd" include 115 dekares of the European Traminer, Chardonnay and German Riesling variety as well as the local Misket of Vratsa and Red Misket. In 2008, the cellar had made BGN 540,000 in profit from wine sales. The wine cellar dates from the same time as the castle itself. The classical cellar with above ground and underground sections specializes in white wines due to the climate specifics of the Black Sea region.
26 January 2009, Monday Bulgaria Backs Japan for Permanent Seat on UN Security Council 
Bulgaria's President Parvanov and Japan's PM Aso with a cordial handshake in Tokyo on Monday. Photo by BGNESА Bulgarian delegation to Tokyo led by President Parvanov expressed Monday Bulgaria's support for Japan's efforts to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.. Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov and the Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso had a cordial meeting in which they vowed to work for the deepening of all aspects of the bilateral relations. Both sides agreed that in 2009, the year when Bulgaria and Japan are celebrating the restoration of their diplomatic relations severed in World War II, the two states had active cooperation in a large number of spheres, and were sharing the values of democracy and market economy. Parvanov and Aso reviewed the bilateral relations in light of the results of the Joint Partnership Statement signed by the then Prime Ministers of the two states in December 2004 in Tokyo, and in light of Bulgaria's greater role in international affairs that it has had since its EU accession on January 1, 2007. "Japan is the largest donor for our country. We have received from you both the respective loans, and a consistent support in terms of technological cooperation", the Bulgarian President Parvanov stated thanking the Japanese side for its support for Bulgarian during its post-socialist transition to a market economy. President Parvanov and Prime Minister Aso agreed that the bilateral economic cooperation had a great potential. The Bulgarian side express its desire to welcome a greater number of Japanese investors. Japan's representatives also vowed to support the dialogue and cooperation with the countries from the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone where Bulgaria plays a major role. President Parvanov expressed Bulgaria's backing of Japan's position on resolving the North Korea issues including its nuclear and missile programs through the negotiation of an all-out package dealing with all problems. Bulgaria and Japan declared their agreement that the global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by at least 50% by 2050, and that a differentiated approach must be taken towards the economies of developing and developed states.
25 January 2009, Sunday Year of Bulgaria in Japan Launched with Arrival of Bulgaria's President 
Kyoto Kinkakuji the Golden PavilionPhoto by benoa.net The Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov and Bulgarian First Lady Zorka Parvanov are beginning Sunday their official visit to Japan. The visit will last until January 30. 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of restoring diplomatic ties between the two countries. Parvanov's visit will also coincide with the official start of the Year of Bulgaria in Japan and "2009 - Year of Japan-Danube Friendship". The Bulgarian President and the First Lady will be welcomed by the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, with whom they are going to have an official luncheon. Parvanov is also going to meet with Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso, and with members of both chambers of the Japanese Parliament. The President will open a Bulgaria-Japan business forum, and an exhibit dedicated to the Cyrillic alphabet. During the last day of his visit Parvanov will open the exhibit of Bulgarian Thracian treasures. The President and Firs Lady are going to visit the Shinto Meiji Shrine and will attend a sumo tournament with the participation of famous Bulgarian sumo wrestler Kaloyan Mahlyanov - Kotooshu. Between May 13 and 16, Bulgaria will be visited by Princess and Prince Akishino, who is the second son of Emperor Akihito, and second in line to the throne. The visit will be part of the Japanese initiative "2009 - Year of Japan-Danube Friendship". After the trip to Japan, Bulgaria's President and First Lady are heading straight to Vietnam.
24 January 2009, Saturday Bulgaria's Largest Kukeri Festival Kicks off in Pernik 
Photo by BGNESThe Surva 2009 International Festival of Mask Games was opened Friday night in the Western Bulgarian city of Pernik. The Festival features processions of the so-called "Kukeri" - an ancient Bulgarian ritual in which costumed men scare away the evil spirits. The 18th annual edition of the three-day event started with a concert entitled "The Magic of the Good" in the Palace of Culture in Pernik. 330 masked performers of Bulgarian folklore songs and dances took part in the event. "The International Festival of Mask Games has long ago established its place as an especially prestigious and colorful expression of folklore celebrations in Bulgaria, Europe, and the world. It is an expression of the most viable and resilient traditions in the Bulgarian masking rituals resurrecting the games of the costumed men as a ritual blessing for health, fertility, happiness, and well-being", the Pernik Mayor Rositsa Yanakieva said in her welcome speech. More than 5 600 mummers from 91 different groups are taking part in the masking and dancing processions on Pernik's streets Saturday and Sunday to chase away the evil spirits. Eleven of the groups are from abroad - Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France. The foreign guests are presenting the mask rituals of their own nations. The Kukeri costumes are made of animal skins and horns, wood, and also include large bells attached to the belt. They are supposed to be as scary as possible. In the Bulgarian tradition, around New Year the kukeri walk and dance through their village to scare evil spirits away with the costumes and the sound of the bells. The traditions is believed to have Thracian origins and can also be found in parts of some of the other Balkan states.
17 January 2009, Saturday Bulgaria Berbatov Takes Manchester United to Premier League's Top 
The Bulgarian football star Dimitar Berbatov (R)Photo by BGNES The Bulgarian football star Dimitar Berbatov took Manchester United to the top of the British Premier League Saturday, the Bulgarian Information agency BGNES reports. With his dramatic last-minute goal, Berbatov secured the 1:0 score for Manchester United against Bolton. The match was interrupted for a short period of time in the 25th minute when a football fan made his way to the center of the field waiving a red and white scarf. The fan was, however, removed quickly by the stadium guards and the game resumed. Despite great play and skills, the efforts of both teams remained fruitless until the 90th minute when, after a good pass from Carlos Tevez, Berbatov plunged to sent the ball into Bolton's goal, literally "heading" his team's victory. United now lead Liverpool by a point, with Rafa Benitez's side not playing until the Merseyside derby on Monday night. Earlier Saturday, Berbatov was quoted by the British The Sun as saying that he was tired of being compared to famous French player Eric Cantona whose specter was putting too much pressure on him. "Now Berbatov wants all the comparisons to end, so he can enjoy his own era with United as himself," the publication reads.
14 January 2009, Wednesday Heritage Foundation: Bulgaria Economy More Free but Not Quite There Yet The Bulgarian economy is 64,6% free, according to the 2009 Index of Economic Freedom, released by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal. The score places Bulgaria in the group of countries with moderately free economies. Bulgaria's economic freedom score ranks the country 56th among a total of 183 in the 2009 Index. The overall score is 0,9 point higher than last year, primarily as a result of improved business and fiscal freedom, according to the report. Bulgaria is ranked 26th freest among the 43 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is well above the world average, the report points out, adding that Bulgaria has overcome initial delays in the transition to a market-oriented economy by pursuing comprehensive economic reform and trade liberalization. The top five Bulgaria's economic freedoms, well above the global average, are: fiscal freedom (86,2%), trade freedom (85,8%), labor freedom (78,4%) business freedom (73,5%), monetary freedom (72,8%). Property rights, and government size remain problem areas - by its 30% property rights freedom index, the country is well below the world average. The report also gives a low score to the freedom from corruption index and points out that the country still has a high rate of organized crime and government and judicial corruption with corruption's threat to the security of the common border being a matter of great concern to the EU. Total government expenditures, including consumption and transfer payments, are also high, the report reveals. In the most recent year, government spending equaled 37,1% of the Gross Domestic Product.
10 January 2009, Saturday Bulgaria Belogradchik Rocks Nominated as New World Nature Wonder 
The rocks near the Bulgarian costal town of Belogradchik have been nominated as one of the new seven wonders of nature in the world, the Belogradchik municipality press center reported.The competition has already began on the www.new7wonders.com site. The site describes the Bulgarian natural phenomenon as "a group of bizarre sandstone and limestone rock formations, reaching up to 200 m in height. They form a strip, which is 30 km long and up to 3 km wide, and are located north of the western slopes of Stara Planina, near the town of Belogradchik in Bulgaria. The formations, which vary in color from red through yellow to grey, are a product of erosion and every distinct rock is named after an object it is believed to resemble." The Belogradchik rocks will compete with 261 natural wonders from 222 countries world wide, such as Mount Everest, the Grand Canyon and others. The nomination was announced Friday during the official inauguration ceremony of a new hotel and SPA complex in the Bulgarian resort town. The New 7 Wonders of Nature is the second campaign organized by the non-profit New7Wonders Foundation, (following the resounding success of the New 7 Wonders of the World campaign). The national qualification phase ended on January 1, 2009 and the site visitors can now vote for their chosen seven from the list of 261 qualified nominees. Voting will continue through July 7, 2009. Then the New7Wonders of Nature Panel of experts, under the leadership of Professor Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, will review the top 77 nominees and choose the 21 finalists, to be announced on 21 July 2009. The 21 finalists will then be put to popular vote. Voting will continue throughout 2010 and into 2011. During this time, the New7Wonders World Tour will visit each of the finalists to allow them to present themselves to the voters across the globe. The final announcement of the New 7 Wonders of Nature is scheduled for 2011.
7 January 2009, Wednesday New Winter Sports Center Opens in Bulgaria's Mountain Resort Chepelare 
Bulgaria's Olympic gold winner Katya Dafovska and the three bears are the official patrons of the new sports center in Chepelare. Photo by Prime Time Agency A new sports center with 20 km of ski tracks and a new ski lift was opened Wednesday in Bulgaria's resort town of Chepelare, which is located in the Rhodoppe Mountains. The Chepelare Sports Center was opened by Ekaterina Dafovska, Bulgaria's gold medalist in biathlon from the 1998 Nagano Olympics, who is also a native of Chepelare. It is equipped with the latest system for making artificial snow, and with free wireless Internet. The Center's lift has the capacity to transport 2 000 people per hour on a distance of 2,7 km, which takes it nine minutes. About EUR 10 M have been invested in the various facilities of the Chepelare Sports Center so far. The total investments in the resort complex are expected to reach EUR 50 M in a few years as facilities for summer sports will also be constructed. The investor in the complex is a public-private partnership called Chepelare Kurort Jsc. The Chepelare Municipaly has a share of 49%, whereas the other 51% are owned by the private consortium Ropodska Initsiativa ("Rhodoppe Initiative") Jsc.
(Carol Singers from Bulgaria)
24 December 2008, Wednesday Traditions Revive as Bulgarians Prepare to Meet Christmas 
As Bulgarians prepare to meet Christmas, old traditions revive on the eve before the holy day.Throughout the country traditions vary, but some things are certain. The meals have to be an uneven number, seven at the least and they've all got to be Lenten. Normally this dinner would mark the end of the great Advent Lents that had started forty days ago. A coin is mixed with the dough of the bread and it is believed that whoever receives the piece with the coin would be extremely lucky throughout the year. After dinner the table is left as it is, so the spirits of the dead can also try the meals. Some also place a thick log called "badnik" in their fireplace, which is supposed to keep the fire going for the whole night. Adult carol singers traditionally start their rounds in villages at midnight on Christmas eve, saying Christmas blessings and singing carols, which at places could be as many as 80 altogether. The Christmas celebrations continue until St. Stephen's Day on December 27. According to Bulgarian traditions, it is considered a serious sin if one works through these three days.
20 December 2008, Saturday World Bank VP: Bulgaria Is in Better Position to Tackle Financial Crisis Effects 
The Bulgarian Vice President of the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva said Saturday that Bulgaria had the advantage of being in a relatively better position than most states to deal with the effects of the global financial crisis. In an interview for the Darik Radio, Georgieva said Bulgaria benefited from the fact it had significant fiscal reserves, and that it would be affected by the crisis at a later stage, which means it would have the opportunity to prepare better drawing upon other states' experience. At the same time, however, Georgieva stated there was no way Bulgaria would remain isolated from the global crisis, which started as a financial crisis, then spread to the real economy, and was now becoming an employment crisis. She pointed out the economic forecasts for the transition economies and the developing states had to be reduced in half, and might have to be cut decreased even further. According to Georgieva, certain risks for the Bulgarian economy were predictable - the shrinking exports, the reduced foreign direct investments, and the dependence on tourism. The World Bank Vice President said the Bulgarian authorities should take measures, which are both anti-crisis, and would still be useful for the country after the crisis is gone. These include small-scale infrastructure projects as well as educational investments. Georgieva declared Bulgaria's large budget surplus was one of the positive features of Bulgaria's economic position. In her words, if the exports and foreign investments declined dramatically, the country would have to find ways to strengthen the internal consumption. She did say, however, the government must be very careful with the surplus because the economic picture could change very easily. Georgieva concluded she would not through funds and efforts into any dramatic large-scale measures because the whole situation was very uncertain. Kristalina Georgieva became Vice President and corporate secretary of the World Bank on March 10, 2008. She first joined the World Bank staff in 1993.
16 December 2008, Tuesday US Company AES to Build Bulgaria's Largest Wind Power Park 
The US Ambassador to Sofia Nancy McEldowney (left) and the Bulgarian PM Sergey Stanishev (right) attended the formal ceremony for the launch of the AES investment into a wind power park in northeast Bulgaria. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency Representatives of the American company AES and of the Bulgarian government signed Tuesday the paperwork for the realization of the largest renewable energy investment in the country. Bulgaria's Prime Minister Stanishev and the US Ambassador to Sofia McEldowney also attended the formal launch of AES's project for the building of a wind power park close to the town of Kavarna in northeast Bulgaria. The Sveti Nikola (St. Nikola) project envisages the building of a wind power park for EUR 270 M with 52 wind power generators, and a total production capacity of 156 MW. The park will be managed by AES-Geo Energy, which has signed a 12-year contract with Bulgaria's National Electric Company NEK for the purchase of the produced electricity. EUR 60 M for the wind power park are provided by AES, and the rest of the sum comes from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, UniCredit Bank, and UniCredit Bulbank. Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov stated the AES investment demonstrated the will of the Bulgarian and US governments and of the creditors of the project to take firm anti-crisis measures. "This project is a joint Bulgarian-American kiss against the global financial crisis", Dimitrov stated at the ceremony for the signing of the contracts for the AES investment. The Sveti Nikola Wind Power Park is supposed to be completed in less than a year - by October 2009.
15 December 2008, Monday Foreign Investments in Bulgaria down by 9% in January-October 2008 The foreign direct investments in Bulgaria in the first ten months of 2008 have decreased by 9.2% compared to the same period of 2007. This becomes clear from the preliminary data of the Bulgarian National Bank released Monday. In the first ten months of 2008 Bulgaria attracted EUR 4.868 B of foreign direct investments, which 14.3% of its GDP. During the same period of 2007, however, the FDI in the country were EUR 5.364 B, or 18.6% of the GDP. Bulgaria's revenue from real estate investments by foreign citizens in January-October 2008 amounted to EUR 1.188 B, compared to EUR 1.517 B in the same period of 2007.
3 December 2008, Wednesday European Voice Readers Pick Kuneva as "European of the Year" 
Photo ec.europa.euThe European Commissioner for consumer protection Meglena Kuneva has been voted "European of the Year" by the readers of European Voice. Kuneva was officially proclaimed "European of the Year" Tuesday night during European Voice's annual awards ceremony, which was held at the Brussels stock exchange. "Meglena Kuneva has shown that championing consumers' interests can help make the European Union more popular. Our readers have rewarded her work by naming her European of the Year", the European Voice editor Dana Spinant said. Kuneva was nominated for her role in championing consumer rights in the age of digital economy. During the same ceremony, the President of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet was declared EU Official of the Year. He was nominated for his role in tackling the effects of the global financial crisis. The French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been voted national politician of the year because of his role in easing off the tensions in the Russia-Georgia conflict. The European Commissioner for environment Stavros Dimas was named Commissioner of the Year by the European Voice readers. Claude Turmes from Luxembourg was picked as Member of the European Parliament of the Year.
30 November 2008, Sunday Bansko Ski Season Officially Underway 
Photo by DariknewsSki stars, including Olympic champions Hanni Wenzel and Gustavo Thoeni as well as legends such as Andreas Wenzel and Marc Girardelli gave the official start of the ski season in Bulgaria's winter resort of Bansko on Saturday. They all made demonstration ski runs on the Alberto Tomba slope, accompanied by ski students and competitors from the "Yulen" ski club in the town. After the demonstration, the ski legends gave a special press conference and praised the conditions and the hospitality of the Bulgarian winter resort. Andreas Wenzel compared Bansko to the best Alpine resorts. Famous Norwegian polar explorer Borge Ouslan, who is in Bansko to present his film at the eight mountain movie festival held from November 27 to the 30th, stated that he was pleasantly surprised by Bansko's beautiful nature and promised to tell people in Norway about Bulgaria's pictorial sites. Gustavo Thoeni is also a guest of the film festival. The Bansko Mayor Alexander Kravarov bestowed the ski legends with the municipality's badge of honor. Many pop stars and Bulgarian Music Idol finalists took part in the concert marking the season's opening. On Sunday morning, the stars lead a workshop titled "World Ski Cup - benefits for the resort". This year, the Bansko ski season began a month earlier then usual. The mayor explained that the idea behind the early start has been to include more Holidays and events in order to attract more visitors. Kravarov further pointed out that despite the global financial crisis, he did not expect the number of tourists to go down and predicted an increase due to the most significant event of the season - The Women World Ski Cup in Alpine Skiing.
26 November 2008, Wednesday First Solar Power Plant Opens Doors in Bulgaria 
Photo by Intersol The first solar electric power plant in Bulgaria is already a fact and it will produce 1250 mgwh per year, the Bulgarian "Intersol" company, investor in the project announced on Wednesday. The plant is located near the village of Paunovo, in the municipality of the town of Ihtiman, south of the capital Sofia. The solar plant is not only the biggest facility of the sort in Bulgaria, but in Eastern Europe as well. The plant's construction has been completed in the course of one year while the investment cost is estimated at EUR 4 M, two thirds of which have been financed through a bank loan. The designer and the construction have been executed by the "Sun Service" company while the German IBC Solar AG is the project's consultant.
23 November 2008, Sunday Santa Sarah Privat Becomes Bulgarian Wine of the Year 
Photo by bacchus.bgSanta Sarah Privat, vintage 2006 has won the Bulgarian Wine of the Year 2008 award and title, which were officially awarded at a ceremony held on November 21. Santa Sarah Privat also won the Best Bulgarian Red Wine 2008 award. Winners in other categories, awarded by an international jury, include: Best Bulgarian White Wine - Chateau de Val Cuvee, 2007, Best Bulgarian Sparkling Wine - Edoardo Miroglio Brut Metodo Classico, 2005, Best Bulgarian Rose - Gorchivka Rose, 2007, Best Bulgarian Dessert Wine - Santa Sarah Snow Wine, 2005. Santa Sarah Privat, vintage 2006, has been produced in a 4,300-bottle series. Despite the fact that the Santa Sarah company does not own vineyards they have been creating excellent wines for over ten years, using twenty Bulgarian brands. Privat is considered the best Santa Sarah wine. Since 2004, it has been a combination of the traditional Bulgarian mavrud and cabernet sauvignon. The wine's unique taste is created by the slow fermentation process in German oak barrels, followed by a 10-month maturing in new French barrels. The Bulgarian Wine of the year contest is organized by the Bulgarian Bacchus magazine and it is the first such competition having the goal to encourage production, trade and consumption of Bulgarian wines. According to Emil Koralov, Special Projects Director for the Bacchus magazine, the selection has been very difficult and the competition tense. An additional arbitration wine tasting by the international jury had become necessary in order to select one of the two top contestants. 
Santa Sarah Privat, vintage 2006 Rating 90 of 100 The top ten Bulgarian wines for 2008 are: 1. Santa Sarah Privat 2006 2. Terra Tangra Roto 2006 3. Solitaire Elenovo Merlot 2006 4. Maxxima Private Reserve 2003 5. Logodaj Nobile Rubin 2006 6. Terra Tangra Cuvee 2006 7. Katarzyna Question Mark 2007 8. Bessa Valley Enira Reserva 2006 9. Terra Tangra Grand Reserva 2006 10.Vinissimo American Barrel 2006 
14 November 2008, Friday Bulgarian stock market key index drops under 400 points 
Photo: Julia LazarovaThe Sofix index of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), which tracks the performance of the ten most liquid stocks on the market, dropped under the 400-points mark on November 14 2008, its lowest value since September 2003. Despite a bright start to the trading session, the index ended 3.9 per cent lower on the day and 16.3 per cent for the week. The wider BG40 index lost 0.3 per cent on November 14 and 17.8 per cent for the week, having declined faster than the Sofix in the previous trading days. Market capitalization fell to 12.15 billion leva. Low turnover played its part in the decline, the weekly figure for deals with stocks falling to 10.7 million leva, down from 14.6 million the previous week. The fall comes even as European and Asian indices recovered some ground after several days of straight decline. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was 2.7 per cent higher, while the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong gained 2.4 per cent. The Dax index in Frankfurt led the gains in Europe, adding 4.6 per cent on the day, while the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange was 3.6 per cent up.
12 November 2008, Wednesday Bulgaria EU Commissioner Kuneva Nominated for EU Commissioner of the Year 
Photo by Teodora Simova The National Movement for Stability and Progress (NDSV) party began a campaign to support the nomination of the European Union (EU) Commissioner for consumer protection Meglena Kuneva as the Commissioner and European of the Year, the party press center announced. Kuneva is one of the nominees of the European Voice, the Brussels based weekly with EU focus. The campaign includes 35,000 FAME post cards, which beginning on Wednesday, can be found at over 700 public locations in Bulgaria's biggest cities. Kuneva has been nominated by the European Voice in the Commissioner of the Year category along with her colleagues Stavros Dimas, Mariann Fischer Boel, Siim Kallas, and Neelie Kroes. Kuneva is nominated for striving to adapt consumer rights to the digital economy categories In addition to Kuneva, the other nominees in the European of the Year category are: Demitris Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat, Sigmar Gabriel, Nicolas Sarkozy, Boris Tadic´, Donald Tusk, Stavros Dimas, Mariann Fischer Boel, Siim Kallas, Neelie Kroes, Chris Davies, Martine Roure, Alexander Stubb, Claude Turmes, Manfred Weber, Catherine Day, Jonathan Faull, Wolfgang Ischinger, Ilkka Laitinen, Jean-Claude Trichet, Katrine Camilleri, Lyn Evans, Daniel Morar, George Soros. Every year, European Voice casts a spotlight on the individuals who have most influenced the European legislative and political agenda during the preceding year. The EVawards Europeans of the year comprises a specially produced commemorative publication distributed to European Voice readers and an exclusive gala dinner where recognition is given to those nominated and where the results of the public voting will be announced. The EVawards 2008 gala dinner will take place on Tuesday 2 December 2008 at the Palais de la Bourse (stock exchange) in central Brussels. Return from Bulgaria News 2 to Home Bulgaria News 1 Previous News
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