In December 2022 Ambassador Irena Gancheva visited two of the major industrial centers of Pakistan – Faisalabad and Sialkot, Punjab Province, which are home to the main export industries of Pakistan such as manufacturing of textiles and clothing, sports goods, medical instruments, leather and leather goods etc. The visits were aimed at identifying concrete steps and initiatives to invigorate the bilateral trade and economic ties.

Ambassador Gancheva had fruitful exchanges with representatives of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Faisalabad and Sialkot (FCCI and SCCI), the Chamber of women entrepreneurs in Faisalabad (FWCCI), as well as with renowned local companies. Both sides introduced the incentives for doing business and the investment opportunities respectively in Bulgaria and Pakistan. They agreed to work for enhancing the contacts between interested organizations and companies of the two countries, and for better utilizing the existing potential in economy and trade. Measures of particular importance in that regard include exchange of business delegations, participation in trade exhibitions in Bulgaria and Pakistan, regular exchange of economic data and information about the investment climate in the two countries.

Ambassador Irena Gancheva also visited the Faisalabad Agricultural University where she had a productive discussion with the Vice Chancellor and members of the academic staff on the opportunities to further develop and expand the cooperation with the Agricultural University of Plovdiv in compliance with the MoU signed between the two academic institutions.