Bilateral cooperation for the development of the Trans-Caspian international transport route was the focus of the conversation in Sofia
Expansion of the partnership and exchange of experience between Bulgaria and Uzbekistan in the spheres of economy, energy, transport, high technologies and artificial intelligence, pharmacy, mining and security, were discussed today at a meeting at the presidential institution by the Head of State Rumen Radev and the Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov . Minister Kudratov 's visit is a result of the official visit of the Bulgarian head of state to Uzbekistan in June this year, during which, together with his Uzbek counterpart Shavkat Mirziyoyev, they signed a joint declaration to strengthen cooperation between Bulgaria and Uzbekistan and adopted a roadmap for its development.
Rumen Radev and Laziz Kudratov stressed the importance of activating the dialogue between the executive authorities of the two countries, as well as deepening ties between business representatives for the implementation of projects of mutual interest. Minister Kudratov expressed Uzbekistan's interest in attracting Bulgarian pharmaceutical and automotive companies to invest in the country, as well as in strengthening the partnership between representatives of the mining industry. The meeting was also attended by the Managing Director of SinoPowell Capital LLC&STeVO Energy LLC Steve Powell.
The conversation focused on expanding cooperation within the framework of the development of the Trans-Caspian international transport route /the so-called Middle Corridor. The common position was that the increasing transfer of goods from China to Europe requires the modernization and expansion of the transport, energy and digital infrastructure. In this regard, Radev highlighted the potential of the ports in Varna and Burgas to participate more actively in the developing supply chains.
The head of state also stressed the importance of the modernizing infrastructure that connects Bulgaria and Turkey, including the expansion of the railway network and the increase in its capacity for transporting goods to the EU. According to the president, it is no less important, along with the development of the transport infrastructure, to work in a timely manner to harmonize the procedures under which individual countries work with the European Union, which will lead to a reduction in delivery times.
The possibility of our country developing as part of the corridors for the transmission of electricity from renewable energy sources from Central Asia to Europe, as well as for the construction of PAWPP energy storage capacities, was also discussed during the meeting.