2024-02-29 04:43:00
The cooperation between Bulgaria and Slovenia is not only trade, but building friendship and partnership for joint development of science and innovation, joint production and its implementation in third markets. This was stated by President Rumen Radev, who together with the Head of State of the Republic of Slovenia, Natasha Pirc Musar, opened the Bulgarian-Slovenian Business Forum in Sofia today.
The Slovenian president is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of President Radev, and her delegation includes representatives of leading Slovenian companies. The focus of the event is the promotion of direct contacts between Bulgarian and Slovenian businesses, as well as the study of possibilities for activating bilateral trade and stimulating joint trade and investments, the press center of the president announced.
In his speech, the president pointed out that Slovenia is an extremely important economic partner for Bulgaria, not only because of the similar characteristics of our markets and the predictable economic environment, but mostly because of our common goal to develop high-tech production and innovation, to integrate even more into the single European market and to create conditions to retain young people in our region.
“Our joint efforts are to make the Balkan Peninsula and our entire region a more attractive place for investment, and this means making joint efforts to develop connectivity,” the president emphasized. In this regard, he highlighted the role of the briefly existing in the period 2018-2020, a direct airline between Ljubljana and Sofia, which has contributed to more intensive contacts between the two countries. Rumen Radev also expressed hope that an operator would soon be found to resume this regular airline in order to be business and tourism encouraged.
The Bulgarian president noted the development of Slovenia as the leading country in Eastern Europe and the former socialist bloc in terms of building a circular economy, creating green technologies, production with high added value, developing export-oriented production, guaranteeing the standard and quality of life of its citizens.
Regarding the potential for cooperation and investments in Bulgaria, Rumen Radev gave as an example the Bulgarian automotive sector, which has seen significant development within a decade. Today, it employs over 70,000 people and its output represents 11% of GDP. “In every car produced today in Europe, there are necessarily parts, systems and components produced in Bulgaria”, added the president. According to him, the progress of the IT sector and the start-up companies in Slovenia and Bulgaria are a prerequisite and an opportunity to seek unification in the sector .
Rumen Radev noted the achievements of our country in the field of space technologies and pointed to the successful partnership between the Bulgarian company EnduroSat and the Slovenian Space Center of Excellence.
President Natasha Pirc Musar noted the development of trade between Bulgaria and Slovenia, emphasizing the potential for its subsequent increase. In front of the business representatives, she emphasized the importance of the European integration of the Western Balkans, for which economic cooperation plays a key role. She also indicated that this year Bulgaria will be a partner country of the AGRA 2024 exhibition in Gornja Radgona in Slovenia. President Pirc Musar also confirmed Slovenian support for our country’s full Schengen membership.
The Bulgarian-Slovenian business forum is organized by the Executive Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium Enterprises (IANMSP) in partnership with the business development agency SPIRIT Slovenia.