Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry Alexander Pulev participated in Xiamen in the official opening of the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT). The international forum was opened by Vice President of the People's Republic of China Han Zheng.
CIFIT is among the most significant international events in Asia in the field of investment, trade and economic cooperation. Every year the forum brings together representatives of state institutions, investors and companies from a number of countries. This year, the official partner countries of the forum are Finland and Saudi Arabia.
In his opening speech, Minister Pulev emphasized that Bulgaria is open to Chinese investments and is ready for a new level of industrial and economic partnership.
“This is my fourth visit to China in the last two years. And each subsequent visit reinforces my belief that the potential for developing relations between Bulgaria and China is much greater“, said Pulev.
According to him, Bulgaria is one of China's oldest friends. “Our country is only the second country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with the newly established People's Republic of China. We have inherited this friendship, but our responsibility is to turn it into an opportunity“, the minister pointed out.
Pulev stressed that Bulgaria is entering a new political stage and has a stable parliamentary majority and a reform-minded government with a clear ambition to accelerate the country's economic transformation.
“This creates an exceptional window of opportunity. We have political stability. We have political will. And most importantly - we have the ability to act“, the Deputy Prime Minister said.
He noted that the country is working to build a predictable and competitive business environment that encourages long-term investments and creates high-quality jobs.
“We see huge opportunities for partnership in infrastructure, energy, industry, innovation and connectivity. The political goodwill is there. The stability is there. The opportunity is there. Now is the time to be ambitious“, stressed Pulev.
A Bulgarian-Chinese business forum dedicated to promoting investments in Bulgaria was also held within the framework of CIFIT. It was attended by about 100 representatives of companies and institutions from Bulgaria and China, who discussed specific opportunities for future partnership.
The forum was opened by the Deputy Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Mihaela Karadimova. During the event, investment opportunities in Bulgaria were presented, as well as the potential for developing bilateral economic cooperation.
The Bulgarian delegation presented investment opportunities in a number of strategic sectors to the Chinese business, including the automotive industry, electronics, energy, manufacturing and other high-tech industries with high added value.