Bulgartabac plans to increase cigarette exports to the Middle East to 15.5 billion sticks this year, and increase that total by 7 per cent in 2013, according to a report on Novinite.com.

Bulgartabac, sold this year to a unit of Russia’s VTB bank, has posted double-digit growth in the Mideast since 2008, Novinite said in a story citing a Bulgartabac statement. Novinite is the English language website of Sofia News Agency. (pi)