site.btaBulgarian Regional Development Minister Confers with Russian Deputy PM Dvorkovich, Construction Minister Men

Bulgarian Regional Development Minister Confers with Russian Deputy PM Dvorkovich, Construction Minister Men

Saint Petersburg, June 21 (BTA) - Within the 19th Saint
Petersburg International Economic Forum, Bulgarian Regional
Development and Public Works Minister Liliyana Pavlova conferred
 with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and
Minister of Construction, Housing and Public Utilities Mikhail
Men, Pavlova's ministry said on Saturday.

At her meeting with Dvorkovich, Pavlova said that Bulgaria wants
 to have normal relations with Russia based on dialogue and
mutually beneficial cooperation. She presented the opportunities
 for development of public-private cooperation in Bulgaria and
the projects in which international companies can take part.

She proposed the establishment of a special sub-group on
construction and infrastructure within the Bulgaria-Russia
Intergovernmental Commission. This would broaden the
opportunities of Bulgarian and Russian companies to participate
in biddings for contractors of construction projects in the two
countries, as well as the implementation of joint projects based
 on the principle of public-private partnership. 
     
There is huge construction in Russia in which Bulgarian
companies wish to take part, Pavlova said. She noted, however,
that construction companies encounter difficulties because of
the unsolved issue of double taxation and the existing quotas
for foreign workers.

The Russian Deputy PM proposed the option of creating joint
enterprises in the sector of agriculture and import of Bulgarian
 fresh food, so that the companies can sell their produce on the
 Russian market.

Pavlova and Minister Men discussed the challenges their
countries' governments face in the sphere of energy efficiency
of residential properties. The Regional Development Minister
acquainted her Russian counterpart with the parametres of
Bulgaria's National Energy Efficiency Programme.