NEWS

Bulgarian companies may supply automobile components for plants in Slovakia

Slovakia is among the leading countries in the world in the production of automobiles and automobile components and Bulgaria will seek a closer cooperation in this sector, President Rosen Plevneliev said in Bratislava, where he opened a Slovak-Bulgarian business forum together with Ivan Gasparovic, President of Slovakia.

According to the President, having gained experience in the past years and having recruited qualified staff, the Bulgarian companies have the potential to supply details and equipment to the automobile plants in the Republic of Slovakia. “Bulgaria has recorded a lot of achievements and currently more than 15,000 people work in the automobile sector. 15 new production capacities for automobile parts were opened in the past couple of months in the country,” Rosen Plevneliev recalled before more than 50 Bulgarian and Slovak business representatives.

Presidents Plevneliev and Gasparovic emphasized that the countries having similar economic structures, such as Bulgaria and Slovakia, should encourage the dialogue between the businesses from the two countries in order to find common solutions for achieving sustainable growth. Despite the impact of the economic crisis, the trade between Bulgaria and Slovakia has increased by 20 percent per year and this creates favorable conditions to strengthen the economic relations, the presidents said at the forum. The two Heads of State encouraged the companies from the two countries to realize more mutual investments.

The infrastructure and energy connections determine the dynamics of the economic life and Bulgaria and Slovakia are taking the necessary measures to guarantee their energy security, Rosen Plevneliev and Ivan Gasparovic said. They reiterated that the cooperation for diversifying the energy supplies in Central and Southeast Europe is a priority issue. “Bulgaria is in the process of building interconnectors with its neighbors,” President Plevneliev recalled. He was adamant that we should avoid the repetition of the crisis involving natural gas supplies dating back to the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009.

In their talks, the two presidents also highlighted the opportunities for closer cooperation in the spheres of science, information technologies and innovations. “I believe that Bulgaria and Slovakia will strengthen their relations and will fully utilize the funds the European Union offers for the development of these sectors,” President Ivan Gasparovic said.

The Slovak Head of State further suggested that the Bulgarian companies having experience in offering health and spa tourism should invest in the development of mineral springs in Slovakia. He recalled that Bulgaria is one of the preferred tourist destinations for the tourists from Slovakia and he expects that the exchange of tourists in the following years will increase.

President Rosen Plevneliev will lay a wreath at the monument of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius and will hold meetings with representatives of the local authorities in the town of Nitra and with His Eminence Viliam Judak, bishop of the Nitra eparchy. These activities will mark the end of the Head of State’s visit to the Republic of Slovakia.