site.btaCuba Wants to See Comeback of Bulgarian Foods

Cuba Wants to See Comeback of  Bulgarian Foods

Havana, November 6 (BTA) - Cuba wants to resume importing Bulgarian foods and to develop joint ventures in the food industry, Food Industry Minister Maria del Carmen Concepcion said at a meeting with Bulgarian Economy Minister Bozhidar Loukarski and his delegation in Havana on Thursday, the Economy Ministry said.

Cuba's portfolio of business opportunities in this sector was presented at the meeting. Concepcion noted that foreign companies with joint participation were entering the country, such as a company established by France's Pernod Ricard to distribute Cuban rum.

Cuba has eleven such projects and has prepared 14 more for the production of milk and meat products, coffee, the flour milling industry, alcohol, soft drinks and tinned food.

Loukarski said it was possible to resume the production of Bulgarian yoghurt by LB Bulgaricum, owned by the Economy Ministry, for the Cuban market. The company's CEO Slavi Angelov has started talks with Cuban companies.

Minister Concepcion expressed a wish that Bulgaria should import larger quantities of Cuban rum, cigars, coffee and other products. She suggested that joint ventures should be set up to distribute Cuban products, and invited Bulgarian companies to the food fair in July 2016. Marieta Zaharieva, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency, will arrange a visit for Bulgarian small and medium-sized companies with specific projects.

Earlier in the day, the companies on the Bulgarian business delegation made presentations at Loukarski's meeting with Orlando Hernandez Guillen, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Cuba. ZIT, the computing equipment manufacturer, showed an interest in the production of cash registers. The Stroitelna Mehanizatsia AD engineering company is ready to participate in the replacement of water pipes in Havana using a trenchless technology. Bulgargeomin presented a copper production project. ICYGEN offered jobs to IT specialists because Cuba is known for its good IT education.

In this connection Loukarski said he would work towards an agreement on the exchange of specialists between the two countries' universities.