Bulgaria's major maritime and river shipping companies have come together to set up a joint venture ferry line called Varna Ferry which will run the lucrative direct Bulgaria-Russia route.
Varna Ferry was established in Bulgaria's Black Sea city Varna by Navigation Maritime Bulgare, the Bulgarian maritime operator, and Bulgarian River Shipping, the major Bulgarian Danube River shipping company.
According to the information supplied by Bulgarian River Shipping to the Bulgarian Stock Exchange, Varna Ferry will deal with freight and cargo shipping, the acquisition and management of vessels, and foreign trade.
The two shipping operators are taking over the operation of the direct railway-ferry line between Bulgaria's Varna and Russia's Black Sea port of Kavkaz.
The Black Sea ferry line between Bulgaria's Varna and Port Kavkaz was opened in March 2009 in order to facilitate the trade and transit between Bulgaria and Russia and the former Soviet Republics in Central Asia.
In 2010, freight traffic through the Varna-Port Kavkaz route registered an increase of over 330 percent year-on-year.
Sofia News Agency