We want to develop even more opportunities for cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of the Interior of Greece, responsible for Macedonia and Thrace, Konstantinos Gyulekas, during a forum in Sofia with the participation of representatives of production and business organizations, ports, local government bodies, universities and enterprises from both countries.
The forum is being held within the framework of a visit to Sofia of a Greek delegation led by Gyulekas, dedicated to bilateral and regional cooperation, BTA summarized.
“We see our future together with your future and we would like to see what we can build together“, said the Deputy Minister. According to him, the intensive exchange between the citizens of the two countries – including travel and training of young people – is a “bridge of friendship and cooperation“ that should be built upon.
He stressed the importance of cooperation both at the bilateral level and in the context of the development of Northern Greece. Due to the high level of relations between Sofia and Athens, Gyulekas addressed the Bulgarian participants in the forum as “friends”, noting that it was with a sense of friendship and good neighborliness that the Greek delegation arrived in Bulgaria.
The Deputy Minister emphasized the many signed cooperation agreements between the two countries and pointed to energy as one of the key areas of interaction. According to him, there are a number of other sectors with potential for expanding the partnership, which is confirmed by the broad profile of the representatives in the Greek delegation.
Gyulekas conveyed greetings from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and stated that the government in Athens expects deepening of cooperation and concrete steps in this direction.
Over 40 Greek business representatives and nearly 180 Bulgarian companies are participating in a bilateral meeting between representatives of production and business organizations, ports, local government bodies, universities and enterprises from Bulgaria and Greece, which is being held at the “Sofia Balkan Palace“ hotel. According to the President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Tsvetan Simeonov, the strong presence is a sign that the two countries are moving in the right direction in terms of bilateral cooperation.
For business, alternatives, including in logistics, are very important for it to be competitive, the BCCI President said during the event.
With regard to geopolitical conditions, Simeonov stressed the importance of the commitments for the development of logistics along the north-south axis, undertaken within the framework of the “Three Seas“ initiative. He noted that the BCCI supports the initiative and will continue to do so. In addition to the north-south directions, in his opinion, serious development is also needed along the routes that cross the Black Sea, given the expected significant commodity flows to the Far East.
Simeonov also commented on the concerns that Bulgarians are acquiring a significant number of properties in Northern Greece. According to him, this is an expression of trust in bilateral relations, since “no one invests where they do not feel safe“. He noted that these are often properties that are not in good condition, and Bulgarian investors invest funds to renovate them and use them effectively, which contributes to the development of tourist exchange between the two countries.
The BCCI Chairman also pointed out that although direct Greek investments in Bulgaria are not among the largest in volume, they are significant in terms of intention. According to him, over 3,000 Greek companies are registered in Bulgaria, with about 900 of them being BCCI members with 100 percent Greek ownership. capital. This, according to him, is an additional signal of confidence in the Bulgarian economy.
The Chairman of the Bulgarian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BHCCI) Savvas Karafilidis announced that a forum will be held in Thessaloniki on March 14 with the participation of representatives of Greek and Bulgarian ports, and extended an invitation to those present. “Ports are the lungs of the Balkans“, he said.
Simeonov pointed out that holding the event in Thessaloniki will provide an opportunity to further develop the contacts established during the meeting in Sofia.
Karafilidis added that from June 1 to 5, BHCCI will be a co-organizer of the “Green Transition Forum“ in Sofia, which will include B2B meetings for companies from the private sector of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania.