During the Sixth China-CEEC Summit held in November this year in Budapest, the participants voted and decided that the next meeting of Heads of State and Government, which is planned for 2018, would be held in Sofia. This could be seen by the Bulgarian side as a positive sign in deepening the bilateral and multilateral relations with both China and the other countries in the 16+1 initiative.
The Bulgarian Prime Minister, Mr. Borisov, said that since the launch of the mechanism for regular meetings between the leaders of China and the CEE countries in 2012, Chinese companies have strengthened their presence in infrastructure in this region. “We rely on the Chinese government for active cooperation and bilateral interests to be expressed in a pragmatic approach leading to the realization of concrete projects,” said Bulgarian PM, pointing out that for Bulgaria they are mainly related to the construction of the Hemus and Black Sea Motorways “, as well as the railway line Ruse – Varna.
Other opportunities for cooperation are in energy, agriculture, industrial zones, e-commerce, innovation, medicine.
The Summit in Sofia will take place in the second half of 2018, after the end of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This represents an excellent opportunity to consolidate Bulgaria’s position as a reliable and stable partner on the European and international stage.
