The decision for editing and printing of the current journal was taken on Balkantrib'93, Sofia, October, 1993 during the Round Table discussion of the representatives of the Balkan countries: Bulgaria. Greece, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia. The Journal of the Balkan Tribological Assosiation is dedicated to the fundamental and technological research of the third principle in nature - the contacts. The journal will act as international focus for contacts between the specialists working in fundamental and practical areas of tribology. The main topics and examples of the scientific areas of interest to the Journal are: overall tribology; tribotechnics and tribomechanics; friction, lubrication, abrasive wear, boundary lubrication, adhesion, cavitation, corrosion, computer simulation, vibration phenomena, mechanical contacts in gaseous, liquid and solid phase, technological tribological processes, coatings, etc.; tribochemistry - defects in solid bodies, tribochemical emissions, triboluminescence, tribochemiluminescence, technological tribochemistry; composite materials, polymeric materials in mechanics and tribology; special materials in military and space technologies, etc.; kinetics, thermodynamics and mechanism of tribochemical processes; biotribology - biological tribology, tribophysiotherapy, tribological wear, biological tribotechnology, etc.; lubrication - solid, semi-liquid lubricants, additives for oils and lubricants, surface phenomena. wear in the presence of lubricants; lubricity of fuels; ecological tribology; the role of tribology in the sustainable development of technology: management and organisation of the production; machinery breakdown; oil monitoring; European legislation in the field of tribotechnics and lubricating oils; educational problems in tribology, lubricating oils and fuels.