Bulgaria and China Discuss Trade and Investment at Sofia Meeting

Sofia hosted a round table on Tuesday dedicated to trade and investment between Bulgaria and China. It was organized by the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB) and the Chinese Embassy. The forum aimed to promote practical cooperation, investment opportunities and direct business exchange between the two countries. The event brought together more than 20 Chinese companies interested in investing in Bulgaria and seeking local business partners, as well as Bulgarian state institutions and business representatives, the organizers said. Among the participants were Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry Alexander Poulev, Chinese Ambassador in Sofia Dai Qingli and KRIB Chairman Kiril Domuschiev. In his address to the participants, Poulev said that efforts should be made jointly to encourage direct investment in addition to the growth of trade. He assured those present that the Bulgarian government has strong political will to strengthen cooperation and open a new chapter in relations with China. He noted the launch of a "qualitative administrative reform focused on making investment promotion a top national priority" and pointed to the restructuring of the Ministry of Economy so that it becomes a hub and the first and only point of contact for all strategic international investors. Poulev said that the government's investment policy will be consolidated, and noted that an additional coordination unit is being created at Council of Ministers level, which will support investors in their interaction with the administration. "We have taken care to create an efficient working model so that the entire administrative burden falls on the shoulders of our administration, rather than weighing on the interaction with our strategic partners," the Deputy PM said. Ambassador Dai Qingli said that Chinese investment in Bulgaria is recording encouraging progress in areas such as the automotive industry and auto parts,...