Bulgaria has shown that the culture of financial stability and confidence leads to results, President Rosen Plevneliev said during a working meeting with representatives of Greek business. In Athens, the President and his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias discussed with business representatives the challenges and opportunities facing Greek-Bulgarian economic relations. Bulgaria went through the hardest test - that of international financial markets, President Plevneliev said. He said that Bulgaria had successfully returned to international markets by issuing Eurobonds at an interest rate of just 4.25 per cent. “The word ‘restrictions’ is not pretty, but we all know that financial discipline is important and should spend only as much as we produce,” the President said and underlined that economic growth must be supported by structural reforms.
Bulgaria and Greece are very familiar with each other and are connected by friendship and strategic partnership, President Plevneliev said in his address to the participants. The President again called for the development of new mechanisms to promote small and medium enterprises, which are the backbone of the Bulgarian and the Greek economy. The President called for more joint projects in infrastructure and more effectively linking of the grids of both countries. President Plevneliev recalled that Greece is the third largest investor and trading partner of Bulgaria. For our country, this potential is very important and must be upgraded. Similarly, Bulgarian tourists are important to the Greek tourism industry, the President said.
The President highlighted the main expectations of business for transparent legislative process, motivated and efficient administration. “Politicians should not spend money made from the economy, but should invest it in meaningful projects, and I believe we have decided on that,” President Plevneliev said.
Earlier, the president met with the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, His Beatitude Ieronymos.
On the second day of his official visit to Greece, President Plevneliev will travel to Thessaloniki, where he will meet with the Mayor and City Council. He will then visit Macedonia University in Thessaloniki, where he will be honored with the title "Doctor Honoris Causa" of the university.