Oct 11, 2006. /Lesprom Network/. Sofia-based trade firm Baranko EOOD is the buyer of a majority stake in packaging company Yuri Gagarin BT sold on the bourse by state-owned tobacco group Bulgartabak, SeeNews reported. Last week Bulgartabak said it sold a 67% stake in Yuri Gagarin BT for BGN 27.6 million ($17.8 million) in an auction on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange but did not disclose the buyer. Bulgartabak offered for sale its entire stake of 80.6% in the Yuri Gagarin BT unit in two separate auctions on the bourse in line with the plan for the company's restructuring. Baranko officials were not immediately available to comment on the buy. Baranko is 100% owned by Cyprus-based Baranko Co. Limited. It offered 136 200 shares, or 13.6% of Yuri Gagarin in the second auction, and sold 131 517 shares at an average price of BGN 36.7 ($23.5). Yuri Gagarin BT, based in Bulgaria's second-largest city of Plovdiv, has packaging and cigarette filter making units, printing facilities and a unit for production of spare parts. Shares in Yuri Gagarin BT finished at BGN 38.0 ($24.4), up 1.1% from the previous close. Bulgaria has made several unsuccessful attempts to sell Bulgartabak since 2001, either as a whole group or in parts.