Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The ninth session of the Bulgarian - Russian Permanent Workgroup on Transport, which took place in the mainframe of the XI Session of the Intergovernmental Bulgarian - Russian Commission for Commercial - Economical and Scientific - Technical Cooperation ended today. It took place in the period April, 23 - 24 in Sofia. At the end of the meeting the both sides gave a positive valuation of the results achieved in the negotiations.

Information on the realization of the conclusions of the 8^th session of the Permanent Workgroup was interchanged, also discused were the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Bulgarian - Russian Commission for Commercial - Economical and Scientific - Technical Cooperation.

The both sides expressed their satisfaction from the signing of the Graphic for liquidation of the BDZ Ltd financial debts to the OAO "RZD" and the actual start of the payment procedure.

During the conversations the two delegations noted the complete accomplishment of section B "Cooperation in the Field of Transport", part of the program for common activities till the year 2007, targeting the enlargement of the bilateral exchange of merchandise on a balanced basis, and the activation of the economical connections in the most important fields of  cooperation between Bulgaria and Russia.

The two countries discussed also the project for an agreement between the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, for the organization of the direct railway-ferryboat connection through the ports of Caucasus and Varna. The goal is to sign the agreement on May 31, 2007, during the 91 session of the European Conference of the Ministers of Transport (EKMT), which will take place in Sofia. The work on the opening of railway-ferryboat connection will go on.

The Intergovernmental Bulgarian - Russian Commission recommended to the Bulgarian side to accelerate the procedure on the change of the article 12 of the active Agreement between Bulgaria and the Russian Federation, regarding the international automobile transportation, from May 19, 1995. The change is necessary because of the annexation of Bulgaria to the European Union.

Aiming to ease the work of the transport means crews, participating in international automobile transportations, the Bulgarian side offered to the Russian side to ease the procedures, to shorten the time needed for a issuing of visas and to reduce their prices for the Bulgarian carriers.

For additional information:
Vera Deianova, Press Centre,
Ministry of Transport
Phone: 940 95 34
E-Mail: vdeianova@mt.government.bg