site.btaVienna Chamber of Commerce President Ruck to VP Iotova: Bulgaria's Full Membership in Schengen Will Accelerate Business Relations

Vice President Iliana Iotova held a meeting with Vienna Chamber of Commerce President Walter Ruck in Vienna, said the presidential press service on Thursday. Ruck stressed that the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen will accelerate business relations with Austria. He added that Austrian businesses have always supported full membership and that Bulgaria provides some of the best conditions for business development. 

Iotova said that she expects reason and wisdom from the member states of the European Union and a quick decision on the admission of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen by land. "As an external border of the EU, Bulgaria has one of the safest borders," the Vice President assured.

Austrian investors are in second place among foreign investors in Bulgaria, Austrian firms and companies operate in all sectors of the Bulgarian economy. Some 150,000 companies are included in the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, which is very actively working with Bulgaria. Over the past two years, its focus has been on the development of the Danube region. The Chamber's activities focus on encouraging women's participation in business, representing 55,000 female entrepreneurs, the statement said.

Within the framework of the Women in Economy initiative, the Vice President also held a meeting with women, including many Bulgarians, in leadership positions in various sectors of the Austrian economy. Kasia Greco, Vice President of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and President of the Women in Economy initiative, pointed out that Bulgarians hold leadership positions in about 2,000 companies in Austria.

Iotova stressed that, unlike other European countries, Bulgaria has achieved equality between men and women in professional development.
The Vice President welcomes initiatives such as Women in Economy, indicating their importance for mutual support, building partnerships, and stimulating the development of women.

"The world is global, the European Union provides many opportunities for education and career development. Today you are in Austria, tomorrow you can return to Bulgaria. Our task in Bulgaria is to make sure that you prefer a future in your homeland," Iotova addressed the Bulgarian women.