OREANDA-NEWS.Thanks to the intensification of the bilateral dialogue, Russia and Bulgaria are building up their potential for strengthening economic cooperation, including in the areas of energy and trade. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the Bulgarian media. According to him, the Russian-Bulgarian relations continue to develop dynamically, despite the complicated situation in Europe. "The political dialogue intensified. In May 2018, President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Boyko Borisov made working visits to Russia", the head of the Russian diplomatic department said. "We expect that the positive dynamics of political contacts will increase practical cooperation - economic spheres, especially since the potential here is very solid".

The Russian Foreign Minister also called good prospects for deepening bilateral cooperation in connection with Sofia’s decision to resume the construction of Belene NPP. “Russia has all the necessary technologies and many years of experience for a successful “restart ”of this project”, he explained. “Currently, Rosatom is considering possible forms of participation in the construction of a nuclear power plant”.

At the same time, as the Russian Foreign Minister noted, the bilateral trade between Moscow and Sofia last year increased by less than 1%. “The prospects for its expansion and diversification are substantively discussed in the framework of the intergovernmental commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation”, Lavrov said. “We presume that the interaction between the Russian and Bulgarian specialized specialists will significantly strengthen trade and economic ties”.

According to the Russian minister, relations between the two countries have repeatedly experienced not only highs, but also falls. “At the same time, each time we successfully overcame temporary difficulties, returned to the path of mutually respectful dialogue”, he stressed.