Bulgaria will strive to strengthen its connections with the successful Bulgarians living abroad, whose professional achievements are our country's best possible advertisement among the international business circles. The promotion of investments to Bulgaria should be a common task performed by both the state institutions and the tested experts. This is what President Rumen Radev said at a meeting held in Chicago with our compatriots who work for global companies operating in Chicago's financial city. Rumen Radev was adamant that our country needs new strategic partners that would contribute to the transformation of the business climate in Bulgaria.
The head of state presented his idea to create an information portal to connect the Bulgarians living abroad with the industrial organizations and the companies that are doing business in Bulgaria or are planning to invest in this country and are accordingly seeking professionals in specific branches. According to the president, such an information platform should contain data on the personal experience and expertise of a given expert as well as to the investor's spheres of business and projects. "Such an information portal can function only on a voluntary basis and it will need the support of the Foreign Ministry, the Bulgarian Investment Agency and Bulgaria's embassies and consular services for its creation and regular update, Rumen Radev said. The head of state went on to say that a number of European countries have launched programs that encourage the emigrants abroad to return to their countries and work there.
In Rumen Radev's words, advertising our country to the would-be investors should not rely on low labour costs but rather on the quality of human capital, and this requires that the connections between the educational and research institutions and business be strengthened. "Unless they see the opportunities for their career development in Bulgaria, the people will continue leaving the country", the president noted.
The young experts identified the reforms in the judiciary, the efficient fight against corruption and the easing of the administrative burden as the major challenges that the investors in Bulgaria are facing. They argued that some positive changes have been noticed, yet measures should be taken to improve the security level in the country and to guarantee respect for the rule of law.
Earlier on President Rumen Radev visited the John Atanassov Bulgarian school in Chicago. The head of state said that if Bulgaria exists today and will exist in future, this is due to the fact that even in times of hardships, the Bulgarians have invariably put effort into ensuring education. The president congratulated the school principal Boyanka Ivanova for her contribution to the recognition of the option for Bulgarian students to take their exams in the Bulgarian language in the state of Illinois by the so called bilingualism stamp and emphasized that this is national cause that will be further advanced. Rumen Radev thanked the US authorities, the teachers and the Bulgarian community in Chicago, and awarded Boyanka Mladenova with the Bulgarian President's Badge of Honour.