| Bulgaria Aspires to Higher Investments, More Balanced Trade with China BTA Special Correspondent Borislav Chalukov Beijing |
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| Friday,November 24,2006 Posted: 21:50 BJT(50 GMT) BTA News |
Bulgaria's goal in regards to economic relations with China involves higher investments and more balanced bilateral trade, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said at a news conference during his
visit to the People's Republic of China. In this context the Bulgarian Prime Minister specified that China is a big trade
partner of the EU, the US and other countries and enjoys a surplus in bilateral trade with all of them. He noted that the Joint Intergovernmental Declaration signed earlier on Monday and
identifying the key priorities of political cooperation stresses that Bulgaria and China will seek to ensure a more balanced commodity exchange.
Stanishev said that at the talks with his host, State Council Premier Wen Jiabao, the two shared the view that new forms of economic cooperation should be promoted, namely, investments and
joined ventures. "It is not normal for an enormous country like China
to have investments of only 10-12 million US dollars in Bulgaria," said the Bulgarian Prime Minister. However, there are
prospects for future development to this end and the Bulgarian Government will encourage their increase, he observed.
Asked by this BTA reporter whether there are prospects for cooperation in the field of high technologies, given the highly-qualified Bulgarian personnel in this area, Stanishev recalled that the State Agency for Information Technology and Communications has been set up expressly for this purpose: to promote investments in the field of high technologies. Stanishev said
there are untapped potentials for cooperation in tourism, adding that the Chinese Government has declared Bulgaria an approved tourist destination.
Taking a question, Stanishev said that there is nothing exotic in seeking and maintaining close contracts with geographically remote countries. "The world is becoming so small, mutually dependent and competitive that if you have no active policy in regards to geographically remote countries, you are in a losing position," said he. If Bulgaria adheres to an active policy towards these countries this would boost its prestige and enhance the protection of its interests and would contribute to the common European policy.
Earlier in the day a ceremony of official welcoming of the Bulgarian Prime Minister was held at the building of the National People's Congress. It was preceded by a meeting between
Stanishev and Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong. After plenary talks between the two official delegations the sides signed four documents: a joint intergovernmental declaration, an
agreement on economic cooperation, an agreement concerning the properties of the two countries' embassies, and a cooperation agreement between the Bulgarian National Radio and the Chinese National Radio. On Tuesday Stanishev will deliver a lecture: "Bulgaria at the Threshold of the EU: Challenges and Prospects" at the Diplomatic
Academy and will confer with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Later in the day the Bulgarian delegation will depart for Shanghai.
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Bilateral Visits