site.btaPlovdiv Regional Governor, Swiss Ambassador Discuss Strengthening Cooperation

Plovdiv Regional Governor Hristina Yancheva and the newly appointed Swiss Ambassador to Bulgaria, Pierre Hagmann, met here on Thursday to discuss possibilities for strengthening cooperation between Plovdiv Region and Switzerland in the fields of business and the economy, science and innovation, education and cultural exchange, the press centre of the Regional Administration said.

Plovdiv is one of the leading regions of Bulgaria with a gateway location in Southern Europe, Yancheva emphasized during the meeting. "With its population of over 660,000 people and a diverse economic profile, Plovdiv Region is an attractive centre for investments, cultural exchange and scientific cooperation," she noted, adding that the economy of the region is based on a highly developed industry, which is concentrated in the Trakia Economic Zone, where international companies operate successfully, including Swiss investors such as ABB and Liebherr. Plovdiv Region is also a major scientific centre, with universities and institutes that develop biotechnology, medicine, agrarian sciences and information technologies, Yancheva pointed out.

Hagmann stated that Bulgaria and Switzerland maintain an active dialogue and have traditionally good and fruitful bilateral relations. He cited as an example the Swiss-Bulgarian cooperation programmes, which recently entered a new phase (2024-2029) and cover financing of projects related to civic engagement, transparency, the environment and the fight against corruption. Hagmann emphasized that the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme is being successfully implemented in Bulgaria, part of which are the achievements of the Institute of Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT), which is an example of the fruitful cooperation between Bulgaria and Switzerland in the field of technology.

The Ambassador congratulated Governor Yancheva on the establishment of the Centre for Clean Technologies and Resource Efficiency of Biomass at the Plovdiv Agricultural University, which he visited on Wednesday. "Only months after its establishment, the centre has its own practical developments, which are already being implemented and improving the ecological environment," the Ambassador noted.