Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov and Turkish Ambassador Aylin Sekizkok discussed the intensification of economic cooperation and projects for new investments.

The conversation focused on opportunities for mutual investment promotion and protection, sectors with potential for trade growth, including information and communication technologies, innovation, engineering, etc.

During the meeting, they also discussed the opportunities for Turkish investments in Bulgaria’s transport infrastructure, as well as the potential of Bulgarian companies in carriage building and locomotive maintenance.

Minister Bogdanov stressed that Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen is a top priority for the country, and it will also benefit Turkish companies that have invested in Bulgaria.

Turkiye is a strategic investor in Bulgaria, a leading partner outside the European Union. In the first quarter of 2023, trade between the two countries was EUR 1.7 billion, an increase of 9.2% compared to the same period in 2022. In the first three months of the year, exports to Turkiye also grew by 6.1%, and now stand at EUR 718 million, while imports amounted to EUR 1 billion, up 8.3%. The interest of Turkish companies in Bulgaria is in projects related to energy infrastructure, construction, production of parts for the automotive, food and textile industries, etc.