The cooperation between Bulgaria and Slovenia is not only trade, but also building friendship and partnership for joint development of science and innovations, joint production and its implementation in third markets. This is what President Rumen Radev said, who, together with the Head of State of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, today opened a Bulgarian-Slovenian business forum in Sofia. The Slovenian President is on an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of President Radev, and her delegation includes representatives of leading Slovenian companies. The focus of the event is to promote direct contacts between the Bulgarian and Slovenian businesses, as well as to explore opportunities to bolster bilateral trade and stimulate joint trade and investment.

In his speech, the President pointed out that Slovenia is an extremely important economic partner for Bulgaria not only because of the similar characteristics of our markets and the predictable economic environment, but above all because of our common goal to develop high-tech industries and innovations, to integrate further into the single European market and to create conditions that will retain young people in our region.

We share a common effort to make the Balkan Peninsula and our entire region a more attractive place for investments, and this means making common efforts to develop connectivity, the President further underlined. In this regard, he also highlighted the role of the short-lived direct airline between Ljubljana and Sofia in the period 2018-2020, which had facilitated more intensive contacts between the two countries. Rumen Radev also expressed hope that an airline would soon be found to resume this regular airline in order to promote business and tourism.

The Bulgarian President noted Slovenia's development as the leading country in Eastern Europe and the former socialist bloc in terms of building a circular economy, creating green technologies, high value-added production, developing export-oriented production, ensuring the standard and quality of life of its citizens.

Regarding the potential for cooperation and investment in Bulgaria, Rumen Radev gave as an example the Bulgarian automotive sector, which within a decade has seen significant development. Today it employs over 70,000 people and its output accounts for 11% of GDP. Every car produced in Europe today has parts, systems and components made in Bulgaria" the President added. According to him, the progress of the IT sector and of the start-up companies in Slovenia and Bulgaria are a prerequisite and an opportunity to seek unification in the sector.

Rumen Radev noted the achievements of this country in space technologies and pointed to the successful partnership between the Bulgarian company EnduroSat and the Slovenian Space Centre of Excellence.

President Musar noted the development of trade between Bulgaria and Slovenia, underlining the potential for its further increase. Addressing the business representatives, she highlighted the importance of the European integration of the Western Balkans, for which economic cooperation plays a key role. She also pointed out that this year Bulgaria will be a partner country at the AGRA 2024 exhibition in Gornja Radgona in Slovenia. President Musar also confirmed Slovenia's support for this country's full membership in Schengen.

The Bulgarian-Slovenian Business Forum is organised by the Executive Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA) in partnership with the business development agency SPIRIT Slovenia.