Bulgaria is open to German business and investment, prime minister Rumen Radev has said. He spoke at a meeting at the Council of Ministers with a delegation from the Eastern Committee of German Business, the government press office said.
Radev said Bulgaria has strengths in robotics, mechatronics, electronics and other high-tech industries, and that these open the way for joint projects. German investment boosts industrial growth and brings successful business models to the economy, he added.
Among his arguments for Bulgaria, Radev named the stability he says the current government provides, and the country's position where energy, digital and transport routes cross. "Bulgaria cannot be bypassed when we talk about links between Europe and Asia and between Europe and the Middle East," he said. He added that Bulgaria also helps the region's energy security. It has well-balanced energy sources, growing energy storage capacity and a strong IT sector, he said.
Radev said the government is working to improve the investment climate by cutting red tape and speeding up the work of state bodies. He also mentioned a new approach to public-private partnerships in infrastructure, under which projects are completed faster, with better quality and more openness.
"We have skilled and well-trained specialists who can work in the industries of the future," the prime minister said.
In May, the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce presented a survey. It found that 56% of the companies polled plan to raise their investment in Bulgaria. Another 13% plan to move investment from Germany to Bulgaria.
The survey's authors link the new German investment in Bulgaria to the adoption of the euro and to hopes for a more stable political climate.