Bulgaria May Start Manufacturing Chinese Buses – Economy Minister

A Bulgarian plant may start manufacturing Chinese buses soon, according to Delyan Dobrev, Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism.

In an interview for Radio Beijing, Dobrev made clear that Bulgaria was hoping to start making Chinese buses after the launch of the car manufacturing plant near the northern of Lovech.

Dobrev, who is on a working visit in China until Wednesday, will meet Tuesday with senior representatives of one of the major bus manufacturers in the Asian country.

"Besides cars, I hope that we shall also start making buses in Bulgaria. We are happy with the investment of Great Wall. They built a very good factory through which they have started manufacturing and selling cars not only on the Bulgarian market but on markets around us, including Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Romania, and Greece. The business is successful and they are expanding towards Central European countries. This is certainly a good partnership," Dobrev commented, as cited by the Focus news agency.

Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister also met with representatives of Great Wall who expressed satisfaction with the investment in the Litex Motors factory near Lovech and voiced plans to expand the business.

In May 2011, Anton Dontchev, Litex Motors' representative in China, uncovered plans about the construction of a bus factory in Bulgaria during the "Bulgaria: Business Up" conference organized by Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency).

"The produce of the Lovech plant is already on the market in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. We also have other projects, a project for a bus manufacturing plant, which is in an advanced phase, we hope to have specific results there as well by the end of 2012," the Litex Motors executive revealed.

Meanwhile, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov vowed last week a new car manufacturing plant in Bulgaria after the 2013 parliamentary elections in the case of a successful result.

Without specifying the name of the investor, Borisov announced that Russia would built a large car manufacturing plant in Bulgaria like the one near Lovech in the case of successful elections.

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