The possibilities to increase the dynamics of Brazil’s investments in Bulgaria and the intensity of the bilateral trade and economic exchange were discussed within the Bulgarian and Brazilian forum in Brazil’s economic capital Sao Paolo.  The forum was opened by President Rosen Plevneliev and the president of Brazil’s Industrial Federation Paolo Skaf and was attended by more than 100 representatives of the business from the two countries.

 

Bulgaria offers strategic opportunities in a dynamically developing region of 12 countries with a population of more than 150 million people. Bulgaria is a factor that cannot be ignored in this region and opens up the best opportunities for production, trade and logistics, the Head of State pointed out before the business circles. “Every good imported from Bulgaria will be traded without any complications and additional costs in the biggest market in the world. We will back up every project, every idea and every transaction concluded between Bulgaria and Brazil. Bulgaria is ready to support Brazil in its ambitions to expand the trade and investments in the EU,” President Plevneliev said.

 

The Bulgarian Head of State made a detailed presentation of our country’s advantages as a platform for a successful business in the EU. “We have a plan for development and a mass-scale program for modernization – we can share them with you and the Brazilian business, which is welcome to Bulgaria,” Rosen Plevneliev said. Our country is the second biggest producer of copper in Europe and the third biggest producer of lead. Bulgaria is among the few countries in the world that produces food for space. Our traditional production sectors also open up excellent opportunities for the implementation of joint projects with Brazilian partners, the President emphasized.

 

Bulgaria is also at the core of the industry of information and communication technologies in Southeast Europe. Our country ranks third in Europe in terms of the number of business start-ups. A lot of Bulgarian companies in the ICT sector were bought by leading foreign companies. The outsourcing industry has shown a boom in our country and this is also the result of the favourable business environment and the qualification of the Bulgarian experts, the Head of State added.

 

“I am one of you. I believe in your values. We all believe that we should engage in production and trade without borders. I am taking on the clear commitment that Bulgaria should work toward speeding up the conclusion of the Agreement for free trade between the EU and Mercosur. We will not wait for Bulgaria to take over the EU presidency in 2018, but we will start taking action right away,” President Rosen Plevneliev told the leading representatives of Brazil’s industry.

 

“We will be your gate to the EU and voice in the EU. Our peoples have enjoyed close ties for years. Our common goal is to build on what they have already achieved, and find new aspects and dimensions of cooperation that could yield real results,” the Head of State said further.

 

The Bulgarian President’s visit represents a landmark in the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Brazil, president of Brazil’s Industrial Federation Paolo Skaf said. “I am convinced that your visit to Sao Paolo will change for the better the course of our relations. The mutual investments and bilateral trade are modest and can see a manifold increase.  The Brazilian market is not familiar with the potential of the Bulgarian producers and I am convinced that your visit to Brazil creates new opportunities and will motivate the two countries to get to know each other and is a stimulus that ensures that we can get to know the opportunities we provide better,” Paolo Skaf said. “We will do our best to intensify the bilateral trade and economic ties, including by organizing visits by Brazilian businesses to Bulgaria,” the president of the leading industrial organization reassured.

 

At the special opening ceremony of the business forum the Bulgarian Head of State was awarded the Sao Paolo Order of Merits in the sphere of industry. The high award is conferred to national and international institutions for exceptional contribution to the industrial development worldwide.

 

In Sao Paolo President Rosen Plevneliev held talks with the state’s governor Geraldo Alckim, to whom he outlined the reforms aimed at improving the business environment in Bulgaria.  The Head of State has pointed out that our country is making investments in setting up a new educational system that will meet the requirements of business. We want to see that Brazilian business sets a firm foothold in Bulgaria and we will create the necessary conditions to make this happen, the Head of State said during the talk.

 

Geraldo Alckim in turn pointed out that promoting foreign trade is one of the solutions to the crisis that the Brazilian economy has found itself in for a third year in a row. The agriculture sector is developing well, but in the other sectors recovery is slower.  Therefore Brazil relies on speeding up the EU-Mercosur agreement. “Rely on us to enhance the economic ties with Bulgaria,” Sao Paolo’s governor reaasured, and accepted the invitation of the Head of State to visit Bulgaria.

 

The state of Sao Paolo with a population of 45 million people produces more than one-third of Brazil’s GDP.  With his visit to the megapolis President Rosen Plevneliev ended his official visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil. On 4 and 5 February the Head of State will be on an official visit to the Republic of Argentine.