Russia will pay its debt to Bulgaria in currency and with goods, it emerged after the meeting of Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin. Bulgaria’s Deputy Economy Minister and Economy Minister Nikolay Vassilev said that the schema for the debt settlement is mutually acceptable. Earlier during the day the two deputy prime ministers officially opened the meeting of the Russian-Bulgarian intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation in the Boyana residence. A memorandum for settling the foreign debt of Russia to Bulgaria is expected to be signed on February 23, it emerged after a meeting of Kudrin with Bulgaria's President Parvanov. Kudrin said that Bulgaria will reduce Russia's debt after the meeting. The debt currently amounts to USD 100 M. According to Kudrin the first payments of the debt in currency will be made in the first half of 2002, by the end of 2002 the rest of the debt will be paid with goods.

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