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Bulgaria and the People’s Republic of China Confirmed their Determination to Further Develop the Comprehensive Friendly Partnership and Cooperation

At a meeting held at 2 Dondukov street President Rosen Plevneliev and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed the determination of the two countries to further develop the relationships of a comprehensive friendly partnership and cooperation, declared when they signed a joint declaration during the Bulgarian President’s state visit to the People’s Republic of China in January 2014. Rosen Plevneliev and Wang Yi were adamant that the declared intentions will produce results visible to the peoples of the two countries in the transport, infrastructure, energy, IT, car industry, agriculture and food production, tourism and culture sectors.

Bulgaria is Asia’s door to Europe and the People’s Republic of China relies on our country’s support for the development of the transport corridors within the framework of the construction of a new silk road “One belt one road,” Minister Wang Yi said. The modernization of the national transport infrastructure, as well as achieving a better connectivity between the Southeast European countries is a strategic priority for Bulgaria, the Head of State emphasized. In President Plevneliev’s words, a project on a high-speed railway, connecting Bulgaria and Turkey, is due to be implemented, which will promote the trade between the European countries and China.

The participants in the meeting shared the opinion that the Initiative for cooperation between the Central and Eastern European countries and China (16+1), launched in 2012, has already produced concrete results.  President Plevneliev confirmed Bulgaria’s readiness to be an active participant in the process of strengthening the relations between the EU and the People’s Republic of China. “I am convinced that the meeting between the government leaders of the Central and Eastern European countries and China to be held in Suzhou and Beijing in November 2015, will provide an opportunity for a bilateral meeting between the prime ministers of Bulgaria and China,” the Head of State said. Our country may host the next meeting of the government leaders in the 16+1 format, the President added.

Rosen Plevneliev highlighted that Bulgaria is a leader in the IT sector in the Southeast European region and in the production of components for the car industry. Minister Yi voiced the Republic of China’s readiness to promote more Chinese investments in these quickly developing sectors in Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Head of State invited his counterpart the President of China Xi Jinping to visit Bulgaria at any time convenient to him.