U.S federal authorities has offered to finance the production and exportation of a Bulgarian cigarettes to Russia, representatives of Bank of New York said during the investigations of money laundering scheme in 1999. The plan has been discussed by the Pleven mayor Naiden Zelenogorski, where the factory is based, and Moscow’s deputy mayor Valeri Shantsev during his recent visit in the Russian capital. According to unofficial information, cited by Dnevnik Daily, some USD 6 M are to be invested in the project over a one-year period. In the first year of Moscow authorities are to place orders with the Pleven-based BT factory of about USD 2 M. The newly prepared Pleven-BT blending sample will go by the name of Kremlyovsky on the Russian market. Pleven_BT officials expect the new production to begin in the first half of 2002. In case the debut on the Russian market is considered successful, investments could be doubled. Pleven-based BT is part of Bulgaria’s state tobacco monopoly Bulgartabac Holding, which is to be privatized.