site.btaConfindustria Bulgaria President Roberto Santorelli Receives President's Badge of Honour

President Rumen Radev awarded the President's Badge of Honour to Roberto Santorelli, President of Confindustria Bulgaria, in recognition of his contribution to the development of Bulgarian-Italian economic relations, the President's Press Secretariat said on Tuesday evening. The ceremony was attended by Italian Ambassador Marcello Apicella.

Radev said Italian businesses play an important role in supporting Bulgaria's economic growth and in strengthening the country's competitiveness and modernization.

Bulgaria and Italy are not only allies and partners but above all friends, the President noted, highlighting his regular meetings with his counterpart Sergio Mattarella, where the two countries' economic cooperation is always a leading topic. Italy is among Bulgaria's key trading and investment partners, with two-way trade exceeding EUR 2.8 billion in the first half of 2025 and total Italian investment in Bulgaria surpassing EUR 4 billion. Radev stressed that Italian investment is valuable not only for creating new jobs, but for bringing a successful model of relations between business, society and the state.

Radev congratulated the leadership of Confindustria Bulgaria for its active cooperation throughout his term and commended Roberto Santorelli for his contribution to the business delegations accompanying the Bulgarian President on visits abroad.

Santorelli manages several companies in Bulgaria operating in the food and beverage sector: Frost BG, Sirio BG and Kuminiano Fruit. He is responsible for business strategy, administration, finance and control, according to the Confindustria Bulgaria website.