The President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tsvetan Simeonov and the new Ambassador of Bulgaria to China Andrey Tehov discussed the possibilities for development of the bilateral trade and economic relations.
Tsvetan Simeonov introduced the guest to the outcome from the recent training programme, organised in China and attended by a delegation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry with representatives of the Chamber's management, employees and partners. In addition to training, useful business contacts were established with companies and institutions in the cities of Beijing, Ningbo and Shaoxing.
Some of the topics during the event were the bilateral exchange of goods and potential sectors of cooperation between Bulgaria and China - including automobile manufacturing, agriculture - production of essential oils and wine, pharmacy, etc. Data from the Ministry of Economy and Industry shows that China occupies a leading position in Bulgaria's foreign trade, ranking second among our export partners outside the European Union (after Turkey). Bulgarian exports consist mainly of refined copper, copper alloys and copper ores, which form over 70% of our exports to the Asian country.
Further, the President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry emphasized on the excellent cooperation between the BCCI and the Embassy of China in Sofia, as well as with its partners from China - the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIC).
Simeonov presented the Unified Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the possibility of issuing certificates and references on the good standing and financial condition of registered companies, which would validate them before foreign partners, customs, banks, embassies, state bodies, for participation in tenders, contests, etc.
The participants discussed the need to speed up the procedure for appointing a new head of the Bulgarian Trade and Economic Affairs Office in Beijing. Ambassador Tehov expressed his willingness to activate bilateral commercial and economic relations and to strengthen regional cooperation.