The Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov and the

The Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov and the Ambassador of Turkey H.E. Mrs. Eileen Sekizkök discussed activation of economic cooperation and projects for new investments. The two discussed the possibilities for mutual promotion and protection of investments. They also discussed sectors with potential for trade growth, including information and communication technologies, innovation, engineering, etc. During the meeting, the possibilities for Turkish investments in the country`s transport infrastructure were also discussed, as well as the potential of Bulgarian companies in wagon building and locomotive maintenance. Minister Bogdanov emphasized to Ambassador Sekizkök that the admission of Bulgaria to Schengen is a top priority for our country. He explained that our membership in the zone will also benefit Turkish companies that have invested in Bulgaria. Turkey is a strategic investor in Bulgaria, a leading partner outside the European Union. In the first quarter of 2023, the exchange of goods between the two countries was 1.7 billion euros, which is an increase of 9.2% compared to the same period in 2022. In the first three months of the year, exports to Turkey also increased by 6.1%, and are now 718 million euros, and imports are in the amount of 1 billion euros, which is an increase of 8.3%. The interest of Turkish companies in Bulgaria is in projects related to energy infrastructure, construction, production of parts for the automotive industry, food and textile industry, etc.