The Bulgarian-Greek business forum, held on 3 October, in the headquarter of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), passed with exceptional interest with a strong presence on the Greek and Bulgarian side of nearly 80 companies from the high technology sector, tourism, construction, food industry, security and so on. The event was organized by BCCI together with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), SEV-Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, Bulgarian-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BHCCI), and the trade department of the Embassy of Greece in Sofia. The event was attended by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) president Tsvetan Simeonov, the caretaker Minister of Economy and Industry Petko Nikolov, the Ambassador of Greece to Bulgaria His Excellency Alexios Marios Lyberopoulos, and the president of ACCI – Sofia Kounenaki Efraimoglou.
Opening the forum, the president of the BCCI Tsvetan Simeonov noted that the interest has exceeded the expectations of the organizers. And pointed out that this is the second serious manifestation after last year BCCI signed a cooperation agreement with ACCI, which is already bearing real fruit.
Minister Petko Nikolov underlined that Greece is an important partner of Bulgaria and ranks fourth among foreign trade partners of our country, while in the last years bilateral trade remained at record levels. He pointed out that in 2023 the trade between the two countries reached 4.6 bln EUR, while in the period January-June it was almost 2.5 bln EUR, which inspires hope that las year numbers would be exceeded.
Mister Nikolov also stressed the fact that Greece is one of the strategic investors in our country with investments of over 3.5 bln EUR to the beginning of 2024 and almost 80 mln EUR in the first quarter of this year. He is convinced that the full Bulgarian membership in Schengen will lead to a reduction in costs and time for physical movement of flows of tourists between the two countries, as well as of goods, services and deals. And underlined that in this context the Bulgarian and Greek governments should continue to develop the road and rail infrastructure between Greece and Bulgaria.
Minister Nikolov drew a special attention on the common, in his view, challenge for the two neighboring countries – members of the European Union, which must work towards the goals of the European Digital Decade policy programme for 2030 – “one of the four pillars of which is connectivity”.
His Excellency mister Lyberopoulos described Bulgaria as, maybe, the most important economic and trade partner of Greece in the Balkans. He also stressed on the development of the trilateral relationships between Bulgaria, Greece and Rumania, as well as on the LNG terminal in Alexandroupolis.
Ambassador Lyberopoulos said that in 2023 the Bulgarian tourists in Greece were almost 42% more than in 2022, while the number of Greece tourists in Bulgaria rose by 25% – to more than 1.1 mln. He also recalled the initiative of the Greek, Bulgarian and Romanian ministers of energy for resolving the huge differences in energy prices in the Balkans in accordance with Central and North Europe.
His Excellency also presented data according to which the Greek export to Bulgaria was 3.5 bln EUR last year with focus on fossil fuels, oils, plastic products, metals, ores and tobacco. Development is observed also in the food industry.
The ACCI President – Sofia Efraimoglou – outlined the great opportunities of the Bulgarian market for the further development in the sphere of logistics, technology and some new areas, as well as the already solid base, on which to build on the firms from sectors like food industry, building materials and environmental decisions. Efraimoglou defined the last year memorandum for cooperation with BCCI as a step towards new quality activities with inclusion of more experts and strengthening the relationships between the two countries.
An impressive presentation with rich video footage for the Greek opportunities offered the member of the Board of Directors of Enterprise Greece Investment & Trade – Betty Alexandropoulou.
Enterprise Greece is the official investment and trade promotion agency of the Greek state, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – a gateway to the opportunities Greece offers. Its mission is two-fold: to provide foreign investors with information, consulting and assistance through every phase of their investment projects and to promote Greek products and services in international markets.
“Bulgaria stands as Greece’s most significant trading partner in Southeastern Europe and one of its top partners globally”, said Mrs. Alexandropoulou. And pointed out that “the geographical proximity, as well as the extensive presence of the Greek business in Bulgaria, along with growing tourist exchanges, and strong reputation of Greek products in this market, all play a vital role in reinforcing our commercial ties”.
In Alexandropoulou view, “these deep-rooted, growing relations are fertile ground for future expansion of partnerships across key sectors”, while “initiatives led by the institutional bodies of the two countries further solidify collaboration in areas of shared interest”.
Mrs. Alexandropoulou emphasized that “Greece is well positioned as a strategic partner for growth and innovation”. And “with its advantageous location, forward-thinking government, and a rapidly developing economy it presents unparalleled opportunities for businesses and investors alike. She assured that Enterprise Greece “stands ready to support and assist every step of the Bulgarian companies”, whether “their interests lie in sourcing high-quality products and services, investing in renewable energy, exploring the vast potential of Greece’s tech sector, or tapping into its dynamic export sectors”.