site.btaBusiness Forum with Representatives of Bulgaria, Romania, Turkiye Held in Burgas

The 3rd Burgas Business Forum entitled Strengthening Bulgaria - Romania - Turkiye Economic Ties took place at the International Congress Centre in the seaside city on Friday.

Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov said the presence of Turkish companies in the Black Sea city had increased in 2024. "Our Turkish friends have long understood that we have our pluses, as the turnover of goods grows every year, and so does the presence of Turkish business in Bulgaria," the Mayor said, adding that companies from Turkiye have chosen sites for their enterprises in the expanded industrial zones of Burgas. He stressed that Burgas could also offer opportunities for Romanian companies, as business wants a stable environment, guaranteed legislation and good logistics - and Burgas offers all this.

Bulgaria's trade relations with Romania and Turkiye are reaching new heights, said Deputy Innovation and Growth Minister Krasimir Yakimov. He pointed out that the trade data for the January-September 2024 period shows sustainable growth between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye. He noted that among the main goals of Bulgaria is the active creation of a favourable environment for investments, increasing trade and deepening economic cooperation with its neighbours. In this regard, he added, Bulgaria offers foreign investors the acceleration of investment processes and increased incentives for new business ventures.

Bulgaria and Romania's entry in the Schengen area is an exceptional trading opportunity for Turkiye, said Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria Brandusa Predescu. She called Romania's partnerships with Bulgaria and Turkiye "strategic" and noted that the economy and trade are the backbone of these partnerships. She pointed out that security and defence could become an important part of relations between the three countries.

Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Uyanik said Turkiye will continue to work actively with the institutions in Bulgaria to strengthen the bilateral economic ties."We held a very fruitful meeting with the Labour and Social Policy Ministry in Bulgaria, where we discussed ways to facilitate the processes of hiring workers," he said. Bulgarian-Turkish trade grew by 15.6% in 2024 and Turkish enterprises in Bulgaria provide more than 15,000 jobs, he said.

The business forum was organized by the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency, together with the Bulgarian-Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of Commerce.