Bulgaria, Russia to Cooperate in Urban Planning, Building Stock Renovation

Bulgarian Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova and Russian counterpart Igor Slyunyayev agreed Monday on the establishment of a working group of Bulgarian and Russian exerts for exchange of experience in urban planning and construction norms and specifications.

The Monday meeting of Pavlova and Slyunyayev was the first meeting of the regional development ministers of the two countries in 20 years.

During the meeting, the two sides expressed the desire to draft a joint action plan to be signed at an upcoming session of the intergovernmental committee scheduled for the spring of 2013, according to the press office of the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.

The meeting of Pavlova and Slyunyayev also revolved around opportunities for alleviating the complicated licensing procedures for Bulgarian companies seeking to participate in construction tenders on the Russian market and access to information about forthcoming tenders in the sphere in Moscow.

The two ministers also dwelt on the possibilities for Bulgarian and Russian companies setting up consortia to work in third countries, including EU Member States.

Slyunyayev vowed to cooperate to resolve the double taxation problem, adding that the aim was to bring up the issue during the 2013 session of the intergovernmental committee.

Pavlova explained that the Russian-Bulgarian working group would also tackle technical specifications and innovations in the spheres of construction and building materials.

The two regional development ministries also exchanged information on urban planning, housing policies, and the renovation of existing building stock.

During her working visit to Moscow, Pavlova also met with Deputy Moscow Mayor Marat Khusnullin, who expressed interest in Sofia's experience in building subway lines.

"We are interested in your experience in designing and building the subway. You deployed cutting-edge technology in the construction of the Sofia subway and we would like you to share your experience," Khusnullin said, adding that there were plans to expand the existing subway network in Moscow by 150 km.

Roman Filimonov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Moscow region, recommended the establishment of a pool of Bulgarian companies in Moscow to facilitate contact with them on forthcoming tenders for the construction of roads and residential buildings.

Pavlova, in turn, vowed to inform the Bulgarian Construction Chamber about the opportunity for cooperation.