site.bta President Plevneliev Pays Working Visit to France

President Plevneliev Pays Working Visit to France

Paris/Sofia, June 27 (BTA) - Trade between Bulgaria and France has exceeded 1 billion euro in the past ten years, increasing by 61.2 per cent. French investments have also exceeded 1.3 billion euro, President Rosen Plevneliev said at a meeting with business people which launched his working visit to Paris, the presidential Press Secretariat said on Monday.
  
France is a strategic trade and economic partner, and Bulgaria considers the development of bilateral relations a priority, Plevneliev underscored.
 
According to the President, at times difficult for Europe, moments such as the one in which the referendum in Great Britain is shaking the foundations of the EU, it is imperative to recall that successes have been achieved jointly, that everyone benefits from integration and cooperation and populism is detrimental to both present and future generations.
   
Bulgaria is becoming established as a regional sector in automotive industry, outsourcing and ICT. The latter is showing considerable growth in Bulgaria with 40,000 new jobs in recent years, a figure which is expected to reach 60,000 by 2020. Plevneliev recalled that Bulgaria won Europe's prize for outsourcing destination in 2015 and is one of the top ten in the world outsourcing destinations.
  
There are about 5,400 companies operating in the ICT field. To date the share of the sector accounts for 3.3 per cent of the country's GDP, 65 per cent of Bulgarian ICT products are exported, there are some 35,000 new jobs in the branch and nearly 30,000 software specialists are expected to be trained by 2020.
   
The Head of State also recalled the easier procedure for employing staff from abroad, including EU Blue Card.

Plevneliev also spoke of the tax rates and low labour costs, as well as the country's strategic geographical position.
  
Plevneliev is also scheduled to confer with French President Francois Hollande, National Assembly President Claude Bartolone and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Secretary General Angel Gurria, as well as with the Bulgarian community there.