site.btaChinese Companies Could Invest in Varna's Infrastructure, Ambassador Dai Qingli Says

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev met with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Bulgaria Dai Qingli and the Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Jiang Jiang in the seaside city of Varna on Wednesday. The meeting was part of the Bulgarian-Chinese forum in Varna, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

"The forum is a great occasion for deepening cooperation in the fields of education, tourism, culture and economy. We will work with the mayor and the municipality to try to build on our cooperation", said Dai Qingli. She noted that there is great interest in the introduction of traditional Chinese medicine in Varna, as well as in cultural exchange. The ambassador pointed out that Varna is a strategic port on the Black Sea and can be a key point of connectivity for supplies from China to Europe. Therefore, large Chinese companies could be interested in investments to improve the port, road and railway infrastructure of the seaside city.

Kotsev confirmed that the port has great potential, even though it has given up its leading position to the port of Burgas in recent years. "Varna needs to modernize its facilities and improve its transport connectivity with the rest of the country, but political instability prevents long-term planning of major investment projects", Kotsev stressed. He expressed hope that Bulgaria will have a stable government, as most long-term plans and large-scale projects at the local level are related to state aid.

During the meeting it was also noted that organizing events such as the Dragon Festival and the Chinese New Year are an opportunity for Chinese artists to present their art and promote Chinese culture in Bulgaria. The possibility of Chinese language classes in Varna schools by teachers from China who graduated at the Veliko Tarnovo University was also highlighted.

As part of the Bulgarian-Chinese forum in Varna, Kotsev also met with Ningbo Deputy Mayor Xu Yan on Tuesday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the twinning of Varna with the Chinese city. During their meeting Xu Yan pointed out that Bulgarian wine and rose products are very popular in China and that Chinese partners would enjoy a greater variety of Bulgarian goods on their market.