"New opportunities for business with Kazakhstan" conference was held at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Just two months after the first meeting of the chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr Tsvetan Simeonv with the new Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Sofia, BCCI hosted a conference on the topic of: "New opportunities for business with Kazakhstan". More than 60 representatives of the Bulgarian business attended the event held in a hybrid format.

Tsvetan Simeonov opened the conference by emphasizing that in the present dynamic international environment the two countries are yet increasingly active in their bilateral relations. Kazakhstan is a country many times larger than Bulgaria, but trade has been dynamic and balance-positive for our country for 5 consecutive years already.

H.E. Viktor Temirbaev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Sofia, welcomed the participants and said that their country is governed now by a new government with a clear vision about the social and economic development of the country at the background of the latest political and economic changes in Kazakhstan. The diplomat pointed out that his country's ties with the European Union are extremely strong, Kazakhstan being the first and only for the time being Central Asian country that has signed an agreement on enhanced partnership and strategic cooperation with the EU.

Saken Olzhabaev, representative of the national company Kazak Invest in Germany, made a presentation of the advantages Kazakhstan can offer to Bulgarian companies. Transit and transport potential being among them and the natural resources and opportunities they offer for diversifying energy sources.

Julian Balchev, expert from the Bulgarian Investment Agency, presented the investment climate in our country. He emphasized there was a 90% increase last year of direct foreign investments in Bulgaria as well. The agency is currently negotiating on 34 big investment projects, worth over 2 billion euros, with the expectations to create about 4,000 jobs. He referred to the rapid development of the automotive industry in our country, and other priority sectors as well.

Marat Birimzhan presented International financial center Astana. It is a center dealing with financial matters and providing registration and operational support to over 1,800 companies from 72 countries.

Kazakh Tourism national company was presented by Sajida Kalkamanova, who spoke about the different types of tourism developed in the country.