President Rumen Radev met today with the visiting Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mariam Katagum. Minister Katagum is in Bulgaria at the invitation of Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry Nikola Stoyanov, who also took part in the talks.
Rumen Radev and Maryam Katagum highlighted the traditionally good partnership relations between Bulgaria and Nigeria. The untapped potential in the relations between our countries requires more intensive actions, the Bulgarian President said. Along with education, where the cooperation between Bulgaria and Nigeria has been proven over the years, today we have more and more intersecting common interests in trade, energy, agriculture, investments and high technologies, he added.
During the talks, the recent involvement of Bulgarian companies in key infrastructure projects in Nigeria, in agriculture, medicine and energy was highlighted and mutual interest was expressed in resuming bilateral cooperation in these areas. Nigeria's efforts to modernise its economy and the rapid development of the IT and high-tech sectors open up prospects for bilateral partnership. Sharing experiences and practices in these areas has significant potential and is a solid basis for cooperation in view of Nigeria's changing economic needs, the President stressed.
Maryam Katagum noted that Africa is becoming a global market and Nigeria, the continent's largest economy, is intensively adapting its policies to attract foreign investment. The two concurred on the need for continued interaction between the Bulgarian and Nigerian sides related to the legal framework of bilateral relations and efforts to take them to a higher level.
The prospects for expanding cooperation in the energy sector and the opportunities for the supply of energy resources to this country from Nigeria were also discussed during the meeting.