Meeting at BCCI with the Bulgarian Ambassador to Pakistan

The Ambassador of Bulgaria to Pakistan Irena Gancheva visited the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and spoke with the President Tsvetan Simeonov.

At the meeting, Ambassador Gancheva presented Pakistan as a very interesting but little-known destination for Bulgaria with great commercial, economic and investment opportunities, as the country is the fifth most populous country in the world (250 million citizens). The interest and the existing potential for strengthening the commercial and economic cooperation between the two countries were emphasized.

Ambassador Gancheva visited key cities and regions such as Karachi and Lahore and held meetings with local chambers of commerce. Pakistani companies showed interest in cooperation with Bulgarian partners but for this they need more detailed practical information about the economic environment in Bulgaria.

The need to schedule and soon hold a session of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission between Bulgaria and Pakistan was also discussed. Bulgaria is expected to be the host of the meeting.

BCCI’s President Tsvetan Simeonov proposed specific steps for providing more opportunities to connect businesses from both countries - online information events, exchange of business visits, sharing useful business information for companies, etc.

There are specific interests for bilateral partnership in the following areas: dairy industry, food industry, agriculture, women's entrepreneurship, machinery and equipment for the food industry, hydropower, transport, etc.

According to information from the Ministry of Economy and Industry, trade in 2021 increased by 54% compared to 2020, reaching USD 136.6 million. So far, the traditionally negative trade balance for Bulgaria in the previous year has been transformed into a positive (exports of USD 93.2 million and imports USD 43.4 million) as a result of the increased growth of exports of wheat and a mixture of wheat and rye to Pakistan.