MOSCOW HOUSE OPENED IN SOFIA








SOFIA, MARCH 2, 2001, /RIA-NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT YURY KOVALENKO/ -- Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who is now staying in Bulgaria, opened the so-called Moscow House in downtown Sofia today. The opening ceremony took place right after the signing of a real-estate exchange agreement between the Moscow municipal government and Sofia's city hall. According to that document's provisions, Moscow has received the building of the Russian-Embassy school in Sofia. For its own part, the Russian capital shall transfer the building of the Moscow-based Bulgarian culture center under Sofia's jurisdiction.


	We are quite happy about this decision, Luzhkov told those present; in his opinion, this constitutes a good foundation for invigorating our mutually-advantageous relations with the Bulgarian side. According to Luzhkov, both Moscow and Sofia intend to ink a rather expensive contract stipulating the delivery of medical preparations to Moscow, as well as an agreement on bottling Bulgarian wines at Moscow's enterprises. Plans are also in place to furnish Moscow's ZIL auto factory with Bulgarian engines.


	Yury Luzhkov and Sofia Mayor Stephan Sofiansky also discussed cooperation between municipal-utilities services.