February 14 (BTA) - Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds and Minister of Finance Assen Vassileva heads a delegation on a working visit to the United States, the government's information service said. On the delegation are Energy Minister Alexander Nikolov and top officials from the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, Bulgargaz and Bulgartransgaz.

In Washington, DC, the Bulgarian delegation is to have meetings in the White House, the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Energy. The Bulgarian officials are also scheduled to confer with representatives of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and other institutions. On the agenda of the talks are energy diversification, energy efficiency, smart green technologies and climate change.

Talks are also scheduled with business representatives during a meeting organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria. More talks will be held with officials from the American-Central European Business Association (ACEBA) and the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute.

The visit of the Bulgarian delegation will then continue in Pittsburgh, Houston, and Dallas.