site.btaPresident Radev Addresses Bilateral Business Forum in Astana, Highlights Importance of Trans-Caspian Corridor

The development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is of utmost importance and is part of the strategy of the European Union for Central Asia, President Rumen Radev said at the Kazakhstan - Bulgaria Business Forum, organized by the Kazakh Invest national export and investment company, in Astana. The head of State is on an official visit to the country.

“Bulgaria is fully committed to this project. The location gives Bulgaria a strategic advantage, the ports in Varna and Burgas have been modernized and are fully ready for operation,” the President said.

“This is my first visit to Kazakhstan, and I am truly amazed by the progress your country has made. Your economic growth is impressive. Not every European country can show such economic growth at the moment. This is promising for the successful cooperation between our two countries, because Bulgaria is also rapidly developing its economy, especially in vital sectors such as energy, connectivity, high technologies and innovation,” Radev added.

The potential for cooperation between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan is immense, particularly in areas such as transport, energy, digital connectivity, trade and economic relations, investment, high technologies, the IT sector, artificial intelligence, space, culture, education, and people-to-people exchange, Radev said earlier in a joint statement with the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

In the presence of both Presidents, several memorandums of understanding were exchanged — for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, cooperation between the diplomatic institutes of the two countries, between the cities of Sofia and Astana, as well as between Plovdiv and Shymkent, and a memorandum of understanding between the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan.