Both Bulgaria and Slovenia work to preserve the Cohesion Policy as a factor for growth and economic and social cohesion in the EU. However, the funds received today should be used to produce sustainable economic models, which should not lead to a collapse after the EU funds for the East European countries are suspended. This is what President Rumen Radev said, who opened a Slovenian-Bulgarian business forum today in Ljubljana together with his counterpart Borut Pahor.
The forum was attended by more than 120 Bulgarian and Slovenian companies in the sphere of IT, innovations, energy, construction, agriculture and food production and also by the CEO of the Bulgarian Investment Agency Stamen Yanev and the Deputy Executive Director of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency Yana Topalova.
Bulgaria can learn from Slovenia how to achieve a real economic and social convergence in the EU, Rumen Radev said. Despite the fact that Slovenia’s population slightly exceeds 2 million and the internal market is highly restricted, the export-oriented Slovenian economy relies on a high added value export and succeeds in establishing a high standard of living for the Slovenian citizens.
The two Presidents noted the trend for increasing bilateral trade and tourism. However, they emphasized that the 400 million euros reached do not match the possible options the two countries can offer. Rumen Radev and Borut Pahor shared the stance that the opening of a Slovenian Embassy in Bulgaria in March 2018 and also of a direct air service between Sofia and Ljubljana in March 2018 contribute to encouraging the contacts between the businesses and also to boosting tourism. The two Heads of State were unanimous that strengthening the ties between the businesses, promoting mutual investments, creating joint enterprises and ensuring export for third countries is the next logical step towards increasing the bilateral trade.
President Borut Pahor welcomed the representatives of the Bulgarian business and invited them to take part in the economic forum that will be held together with the forthcoming top-level meeting within the regional Three Seas initiative, which Slovenia will host.