The energy connectivity among the countries from the region is a factor for establishing a common energy market and regional energy bourse. Together with the improvement of the transport links and cooperation among the countries from the region in key sectors, it will give an impetus to the industrial development in the Balkans and will reduce the dependence on one supplier of resources. This is what Head of State Rosen Plevneliev said, who together with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic opened a joint Bulgarian-Croatian business forum in Sofia.
The Balkans have a strategic potential and the regional approach lies at its basis, President Plevneliev highlighted. Rosen Plevneliev and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic encouraged the businesses from Bulgaria and Croatia to strengthen their bilateral contacts. The two highlighted the potential of Bulgaria and Croatia to deepen the trade and investment cooperation. Energy and implementation of projects on energy connectivity and diversification, the ICT sector, digitalization, the production of car components, machine-building and tourism were highlighted as perspective sectors.
Head of State Rosen Plevneliev told the business representatives that there are very good conditions for doing business in Bulgaria – a favorable business environment, a higher trust of the investors, which finds expression in the low interest rates of the Bulgarian securities on the international markets, as well as in the high percent of EU funds absorption. Our country has a clear long-term action plan with concrete measures implemented under the National program for development “Bulgaria 2020.”The work on the program for the development of our country up to 2030 has also started, the President added.
Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, for her part, highly appreciated the long-term planning and the concrete measures taken by Bulgaria in support of the business. “Energy dependence does not contribute to the political stability of the countries in the region. Therefore we will have to speed up the construction of inter-connectors, which will lead to lower prices of the energy resources and will encourage the competitiveness of our economies,” President Grabar-Kitarovic said at the forum.
Croatia also relies on the successful Bulgarian experience in EU funds absorption in order to speed up its economic growth rate. The country emerged from a six-year recession and achieved a GDP growth rate of 1.6 percent.