Event of the Bulgarian-Greek Chamber of Commerce and Industry Strengthened the Traditionally Strong Bilateral Economic and Trade Relations

Representatives of the Managing Board of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry actively participated in an event entitled “Economic and Trade Relations Between Bulgaria and Greece – Development Opportunities Following Bulgaria’s Accession to the Schengen Agreement”. The event was held in Sofia and organized by the Bulgarian-Greek Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Among the participants were prominent representatives of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Helexpo, Thessaloniki Port, members of the mixed chamber, diplomats, and partners from both countries.

In his opening remarks, the President of the Bulgarian-Greek Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Savvas Karafilydis, stated that tourism and trade exchange between Greece and Bulgaria is expected to grow exponentially.

In his speech, the Ambassador of Greece to Sofia, H.E. Alexios Liberopoulos, noted that cooperation between the two countries would be intensified following Bulgaria’s entry into the Schengen area. As it is known, Greece is the third-largest investor in Bulgaria (after Austria and the Netherlands). The ambassador shared that in recent years, the total investment volume has exceeded €3.5 billion, underscoring the trust of the Greek investors. The main reasons for this activity are Bulgaria’s low taxes, lower labor costs, low operational expenses, and, naturally, the geographical proximity.

According to the President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov, and various Bulgarian analysts, the country’s entry into the Schengen area is expected to boost the Bulgarian economy by at least 1%. While more Bulgarians travel to Greece for vacations than vice versa, Bulgaria has the potential to attract more Greek tourists, particularly with its spa tourism. "Our country is the second in Europe by number of mineral springs (after Iceland)," Simeonov noted. According to data from the National Statistical Institute, over 1.8 million Bulgarians visited Greece in 2023. For Bulgarians, Greece is the most visited EU destination, while approximately 1.1 million Greek citizens visited Bulgaria in 2023.

The Minister of Development of Greece, Mr. Panagiotis Theodorikakos, addressed the participants via video message, expressing his intention to meet with his Bulgarian colleagues in the coming months to discuss new partnerships in the fields of energy, economy, tourism, and artificial intelligence.

Other speakers included Georgios Kremlis, Ambassador of the European Public Law Organization to Bulgaria; Dimitrios Michas, Head of the Economic and Trade Office at the Greek Embassy in Sofia; Georgi Alipiev, Head of the International Relations Department at the Ministry of Tourism; Anastasios Zikas, President of Helexpo; and Konstantinos Moraitidis, Vice President of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Emmanuel Vlachogiannis also participated in the event, a long-standing representative of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry and partner of BCCI.

Participants received information about upcoming business events in Bulgaria and Greece and participated in the ceremonial cutting of a traditional Greek New Year’s cake – Vasilopita.