Brazil is Bulgaria’s priority trading partner in Latin America, we are ambitious and would like to achieve more. We have declared a political intention to strengthen the partnership. Currently the most important thing remains to be done – hard work on strengthening any partnership and support for every idea that will bring us closer together and promote growth. These were the words with which Head of State Rosen Plevneliev addressed the representatives of the business circles from Bulgaria and Brazil within the framework of a joint Bulgarian-Brazilian business forum. The meeting held in the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry was attended by 20 Bulgarian and more than 20 Brazilian business companies and representatives of all business federations which are members of the Confederation.
“We are here with a clear message – Bulgaria is a friendly, peaceful and democratic country. Bulgarians are well educated and know that nothing is given for free and one should work hard to deserve everything,” President Plevneliev said and outlined Bulgaria’s advantages as a platform for doing business and an entrance of Brazilian companies to the European market. “Bulgarian companies are competent and skilled, the banking sector has a high liquidity rate and can finance the business. Every joint project between Bulgaria and Brazil is important. Every idea has a strategic potential and we will support it because we see the potential. Two countries that understand each other cannot but find a way to each other. However, we need entrepreneurs to this effect so that they could undertake the initiative and take risks. We should support the entrepreneurs,” the Head of State told the business representatives from the two countries.
The President said that currently Bulgaria is an island of stability in a dynamically developing region of 12 countries and 150 million consumers. A lot of economic indicators have been growing recently, including the GDP, the investments and export, the President recalled. Businesses in Bulgaria also enjoy one of the lowest tax rates in Europe and other administrative costs for running their business. “A lot of world companies do business in Bulgaria because the country has developed an industrial culture, has well prepared specialists and entrepreneurs, who believe in conducting responsible business. It is strategically important for us to further develop the business relations between the two countries. Bulgaria is a door for conducting trade and boosting production, which is the most direct way to the European market,” the Bulgarian President said.
The Head of State declared that Bulgaria will work so as to speed up the finalization of the EU – Mercosur agreement, which will bring the economies of the two countries closer together. The Joint Economic Commission of Bulgaria and Brazil will hold its first meeting in the autumn of 2016, Economy Minister Bozhidar Lukarski said, who also took part in the business forum. Brazil is Bulgaria’s main trading partner in Latin America and seeks diversification of its trade partnerships, Robson Braga de Andrade, President of the National Confederation of Industry, said. In his words, there are opportunities for extending Bulgaria’s influence on the Brazilian market in sectors such as infrastructure, energy and urbanism. Brazil ranks fourteenth in terms of the consumption of Bulgarian goods in the world, mostly fine equipment and machines.
“We should take advantage of the opportunities to intensify trade and increase the integration of the production chains,” Robson Braga de Andrade commented. “There should be a clearer trajectory of the relations and the businesses from the two countries voiced their will to work together to this effect,” the President of the National Confederation of Industry further said.
Within his official visit to Brazil, the Head of State will take part in the meeting of the businesses from the two countries to be held in Sao Paolo, the economic, trade and financial center of Brazil. In the megapolis, President Rosen Plevneliev will also meet the Bulgarian community, which is the biggest one in Brazil.