site.btaVarna Mayor, US Ambassador Discuss Economic Cooperation

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev and US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten had a meeting on Monday to discuss the possibilities for cooperation in the fields of economy, culture and education. 

Merten expressed his admiration for what he saw during a walk in the Sea Garden and the Roman Baths. Part of his programme is a visit to the Regional History Museum, where the oldest gold treasure in the world is exhibited. Kotsev noted that Varna has a rich historical heritage, which his team tries to preserve for generations to come.

Merten thanked Kotsev for providing Ukrainian refugees with opportunities for accommodation, for integration in the city, and he showed interest in the possibilities for American companies to invest in Varna in the field of tourism and energy.

Kotsev pointed out the improvement of the urban environment in Varna, which includes street repairs, public transport reforms, more parks and conditions for people to choose the city as their place of living. He noted that in recent years housing construction has been a leading industry in the city's economy, but that his team has the ambition to build an industrial zone near Varna and attract investments in the field of innovative technologies.

Kotsev also pointed out that Varna needs better transport connectivity with the rest of the country, more specifically the completion of the Hemus motorway. He added that the municipalities of Varna and Burgas are making joint efforts to build an expressway between the two seaside cities, which will have a positive impact on business along the entire Bulgarian Black Sea coast.