78% of the participants in the business delegation in Russia expect trade to increase in 2011

Most of the companies that took part in the survey work in industry – 56%, trade – 33%, services – 22%, and in other fields (investment projects, real property, scientific and technical cooperation, licensing activities) – 45%. The expectations to find new business partners and to negotiate and agree on specific contract conditions prevail among them. Some of the obstacles that prevent Bulgarian companies from doing business with Russia are administrative barriers and bureaucracy, transport problems, the visa regime and the lack of unified rules for the work of the bank sector on investment projects. The survey shows that the food and drink industry, tourism and real property provide the best opportunities for cooperation. With regard to the topics which will discussed by the intergovernmental Bulgarian-Russian Committee for economic and scientific and technological cooperation, the largest per cent of companies (67 %) support the topic of a Trade working group. Other topics which were suggested for discussion during the session of the joint committee include:

- Scientific and technical cooperation;

- Innovative economy and politics;

- The approval of Bulgarian companies by the Russian Federation;

- The possibility to ease the visa regime;

- Improvement of the tariff policy between Bulgaria and Russia, and especially of the tariff preferences for import of Russian goods.

78 % of the companies that took part in the survey expect the trade between Bulgaria and Russia to increase in 2011. The Bulgarian business delegation organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and led by its President Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov, is accompanying the Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism on his Moscow trip between the 6th and 8th April, 2011.

06.04.2011