site.btaEconomy Minister: Chinese Companies Interested in Investing in Bulgaria

China is the third biggest market for Bulgarian exports outside of the EU in 2022 and in the top ten of Bulgaria’s trade partners in the world, caretaker Minister of Economy and Industry Nikola Stoyanov said here on Friday. He was speaking at a meeting with Chinese business representatives within the Breakfast with Investors initiative, the Economy Ministry reported. The bilateral trade has been growing steadily, reaching USD 4.2 billion in 2022, Stoyanov said.

Participating in the meeting were over 15 Chinese companies investing in various sectors in Bulgaria: ICT, electric transport, nuclear energy, renewable energy sources, food industry, and tourism, among others. Also among the participants were Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun and Vladimir Zinoniev, adviser at the Ministry of Economy and Industry.

“We see a significant interest by Chinese companies in investing in Bulgaria as a means to achieve easier export of goods within the EU,” Stoyanov said. The State-owned industrial zones in Bulgaria offer built infrastructure and excellent opportunities for positioning production and development centres. “We are ready to provide full institutional and expert support to companies interested in developing their projects in Bulgaria,” the Minister added.

The participants in the meeting discussed Bulgaria’s potential to broaden the export to China of products for which Bulgaria is traditionally known in Asia. “Bulgaria is known as the country of roses, yogurt, and wine, but we actually have much more to offer the Chinese market. On the other hand, the Bulgarian state strives to attract more Chinese investments in sectors such as high-tech industrial production and services, ICT, automotive industry, agriculture, tourism,” Stoyanov said.

The participants also discussed matters related to the cooperation between Bulgarian and Chinese companies in the field of e-commerce, the measures for supporting companies wishing to invest in renewable energy, measures for promoting multi-modal transport in Europe, and others. The Chinese business representatives expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian institutions for the support these provide in overcoming and solving various issues related to their business in the country.

Friday’s business breakfast was organized with the assistance of the Chinese Embassy.

Similar meetings within Minister Stoyanov’s Breakfast with Investors initiative have been held with representatives of Austrian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and US businesses in Bulgaria, among others.