site.btaChinese Ambassador Outlines Diplomatic Relations with Bulgaria

Addressing the visitors of an exhibition of leading Chinese products and services and a series of Bulgarian-Chinese business meetings at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia Thursday, Ambassador of China to Bulgaria Dai Qingli said that Bulgaria provides China with very good opportunities to develop cooperation in various areas, and this cooperation will develop further. The direct route for cargo flights between Bulgaria and China has been approved and conditions are in place for the first flight to open, she said, adding that the launch of the direct passenger flight is also being prepared.

The forum is a highlight in a series of meetings to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The anniversary is celebrated on October 1.

"Next year marks the 10th anniversary of Bulgaria's accession to the Belt and Road Initiative and we are ready to work with your country to deepen partnership in the initiative to give a new impetus to Bulgaria's economic growth," the Ambassador said. 

"We will not forget that Bulgaria was the second country to establish diplomatic relations with New China. Over the past 75 years, the two countries have always treated each other with mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. The traditional friendship is becoming timeless," Ambassador Dai Qingli added.   

She cited some important dates in the development of bilateral relations between the two countries in the past decade, such as Bulgaria's joining China's Belt and Road Initiative in 2015 and the decision of Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Rumen Radev in 2019 to elevate bilateral relations to the level of strategic cooperation. 

"China is interested in investment in the fields of automobiles, spare parts, renewable energy, information and communication, agriculture, finance and others," Ambassador Dai Qingli listed. "In the area of trade and investment cooperation, China will continue to liberalize and open up market access to the world and expand its imports so that the Chinese market becomes an attractive opportunity for all countries in the world, including Bulgaria. I hope we will also expand our imports from Bulgaria and thus improve and stabilize trade between the two countries," the diplomat added.

From 2015 to 2023, the volume of bilateral trade between Bulgaria and China increased by USD 1.8 billion to 4.2 billion, the ambassador said. Bulgaria's exports to China amounted to about USD 1 billion in 2023.