As Belgium prepares to celebrate its national day, the issue of The Sofia Echo published on July 18 2008 includes an eight-page special feature dedicated to relations between Belgium and Bulgaria.

Elsewhere in the issue, Bulgaria’s national English-language newspaper takes a hard look at the dark cloud looming over Bulgaria’s 2008 summer tourist season. Elitsa Savova gives an update of the state of play in tourism trends, while Alex Bivol explores what lies behind the appalling death toll on the country’s major roads to the Black Sea resorts.

In its foreign coverage, the newspaper features a story on Kosovo, the fledgling state that finds itself caught between friends and foes among the powerful eagles in the region and around the world.

In the business section this week, The Sofia Echo outlines the latest developments at the troubled Kremikovtzi steel mill, and sums up a new report on the state of the banking industry in Central and Eastern Europe.

The newspaper’s features section includes this week’s columnists, venue and restaurant reviews, and our regular listings of what’s on offer on the entertainment front in coming days.

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