Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Cannot Confirm Whether Institutions in Moscow Comply With Russian Tax Laws

Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry cannot provide a legally binding assessment of whether economic activities potentially conducted by Bulgarian institutions in Moscow comply with Russian tax and legal requirements.

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova made the statement in a written response to a parliamentary question submitted by Democratic Bulgaria MP Stella Nikolova.

The inquiry concerned the status and activities of Bulgarian cultural and information centres in Russia, particularly in the context of Moscow’s demands for reciprocity.

Petrova-Chamova explained that the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Moscow operates under the authority of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Culture.

Its activities are regulated by the Protection and Development of Culture Act, which stipulates that Bulgarian cultural institutes abroad are state institutions operating under bilateral international agreements.

In Moscow’s case, the relevant agreement was signed between the governments of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria and the Soviet Union on January 19, 1988, in Sofia.

The minister clarified that the Bulgarian Cultural Institute is currently located within the Bulgarian Embassy’s diplomatic compound in Moscow.

She also addressed the status of the Centre of Industry of the Republic of Bulgaria in Moscow.

The centre operates under a bilateral agreement signed in Sofia on July 13, 1974, concerning cooperation in improving technical services for machinery, equipment and instruments supplied through bilateral trade.

That agreement was approved by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers on September 13, 1974, and subsequently modified by a decision dated July 11, 1986.

Under its organisational regulations, the centre is a legal entity funded through the budget of the Ministry of Economy, Investment and Industry.

Its official address is 24 Krasnogo Mayaka Street, Moscow.

Petrova-Chamova stressed that the Foreign Ministry cannot determine whether any commercial activities conducted by these institutions comply with Russian legislation because it is neither a regulatory nor a judicial authority.

Any such assessment would also have to take into account the applicable laws of the Russian Federation. | BGNES