| Bulgaria to Participate Actively in Strengthening Sino-European Partnership, Stanishev Tells Xinhua News Agency |
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| Friday,November 24,2006 Posted: 21:44 BJT(44 GMT) BTA news |
Beijing - After it enters the EU, Bulgaria will actively participate in developing the strategic partnership between Europe and China and will make a substantial contribution to a more vigorous EU-China dialogue, Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei
Stanishev told Xinhua news agency in an interview quoted by Saturday's Renmin Ribao.
Given its strategic geographical position, Bulgaria is ready to act as a bridge for the entry of Chinese business in Europe, said Stanishev, who is making his first official visit to China as prime minister on November 19-23 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.
Stanishev emphasized in the written interview that Bulgaria viewed China as an important political and economic partner in Asia and that the two countries had traditionally friendly relations.
The focus of Chinese investments has shifted from trade and restaurants to the light industry and the manufacture of domestic appliances.
Stanishev noted the huge potential of two-way trade with China -
Bulgaria's number one trading partner in Asia. It totalled nearly 780 million dollars in 2005 and is projected at 1,000 million dollars this year.
Stanishev reiterated that Bulgaria would firmly stick to the One-China policy. He stated that Taiwan is part of China and the
Chinese government is the only lawful government representing the country.
Bulgaria will never establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Stanishev said.
Bulgaria will participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. * * *
Bulgaria is the second country in the world to have recognized the People's Republic of China on October 3, 1949. The 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations was marked in 2004.
China's role as a major player on the international scene, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, its economic success, the huge potential of the Chinese market and traditional cooperation account for the priority Bulgaria's foreign policy sets on relations with this country. Bilateral relations are free of ideological prejudice and are friendly, with no outstanding problems, the government information service
said. Bulgaria highly values China's policy of reform and opening to the world, respects Beijing's independent, peaceful foreign policy, its contribution to curbing the financial crisis in Asia and
to regional peace and security. The legal framework of bilateral relations consists of agreements on reciprocal investment protection and promotion (1989), the avoidance of double taxation (1989), trade (1990), air transport (1993); a convention on cooperation in quarantine and plant protection (1994); an agreement between the two countries' patent offices (1996); and a veterinary sanitary convention (1998). The agreement on the avoidance of double taxation is due for an update.
The two countries have granted each other most favoured nation status. An intergovernmental commission on economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation has been operative since 1985.
Cooperation between the electronic media is based on agreements between Bulgarian National Television and the Chinese Ministry of Radio, Television and Film; Bulgarian National Radio and Chinese National Radio and Radio China; and the Bulgarian News Agency and Xinhua news agency.
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Bilateral Visits