site.btaBulgaria Asks China to Speed Up Procedures for Export of Farm Produce

Sofia, May 29 (BTA) - Agriculture, Food and Forests Minister Roumen Porozhanov asked Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Han Changfu, who is paying a visit to Bulgaria, to speed up the procedures for exports of farm produce to China, Porozhanov's Ministry said in a press release Tuesday.

Porozhanov said that the procedures for export of milk and dairy products are in their final stage. The Minister stressed the importance of making headway on exports of tobacco, as discussed at a meeting Monday between Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Minister Changfu on Monday. Porozhanov said Bulgaria expects China to send experts to inspect the quality of the Bulgarian tobacco.

The guest said that at the moment temporary restrictions are in force in China on the import of tobacco from the EU. Minister Changfu promised that experts will be sent shortly.

At the meeting, the Chinese officials said that a free exhibition centre for farm produce China-Central and Eastern Europe has been set up in the duty-free area of the port of Yantian in Shenzhen.

The two ministers signed a memorandum from the third meeting of the Bulgarian-Chinese working group for cooperation in agriculture which was held on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day the two ministers visited the facilities in Bulgaria of the Tianjin State Farms Agribusiness Group and a rose oil distillery.