BIA’S MANAGEMENT MEETS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY

On the 23rd of August 2017 in the Bulgarian Industrial Association was held a meeting between Mrs. Margarita Popova – Vice President and General Secretary of the BIA, Mr. Kamen Kolev – Vice President of the BIA and representatives of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Bulgaria. The delegation consisted of Mr. Yao Chaoying - Economic and Commercial Counsellor and Mr. Wu Lyufan – Attache at the Office of Trade and Economic Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Sofia.

Current trade and economic ties and opportunities to promote co-operation between the two countries were discussed. "The Bulgarian Industrial Association has a long-standing relationship with China. We have a framework agreement on cooperation with the China Development Bank, which enables us to build and develop cooperation platforms between Bulgarian and Chinese companies and, through common actions, to promote effective economic relations", said Vice President Kamen Kolev.

"We want to improve the joint work between China and Bulgaria in terms of economy, investment, trade and production. It is also very important for us to work with small and medium-sized enterprises," said Economic and Commercial Councilor Chaoyang.

In this regard, Mr. Chaoyang introduced the participants to several initiatives that the Embassy of the PRC organized together with the Bulgarian side. One of these is the "Human Resources Development Program", which has been running for three years now and is fully funded by the Chinese government. The program enables 50 business, government, and higher education representatives to undertake a three-week training course in China on topics such as energy, environment, commerce, SME initiatives, and others, all participants' costs being borne entirely From the Chinese side. The purpose of the training is the exchange of experience and good practices between government agencies, ministries, businesses and educational institutions from both countries.

The delegates presented the opportunities for participation in the Bulgarian-Chinese Business Forum "Plovdiv - Shenzhen", which is organized annually by the Bulgarian-Chinese Association for Business Development. The forum is preparing to hold the "Made in Shenzhen" Fair, which takes place twice a year - in spring and autumn, and presents the products of the top 50 Chinese manufacturers in different industries. For several years, foreign companies have also been involved in the forum, which has helped for more effective economic co-operation.

Both sides expressed their willingness to work together and communicate effectively, as well as to provide assistance to Bulgarian companies wishing to develop on the Chinese market.