The Chinese Government Is Ready to Facilitate Strategic Investments in Bulgaria and the Region
23 May 2018 News
The Chinese Government is ready to facilitate the attraction of strategic investments from Chinese companies to Bulgaria, to the Western Balkans and to Central and Eastern Europe, the State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi said at a meeting with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva.
The two foreign ministers conferred in Buenos Aires. Ekaterina Zaharieva and Wang Yi are in the Argentine capital for the meeting of the G20 countries’ chief diplomats. Zaharieva represents the European Union at the forum.
“I am impressed by your country. I will not forget how, during my visit to Bulgaria, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov showed me on the map Bulgaria’s strategic location and the transport and energy corridors,” Minister Wang said. “We would like to encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Bulgaria, in the Western Balkans and in Central and Eastern Europe. We are ready to cooperate for this.”
Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva briefed her Chinese counterpart on the EU-Western Balkans Summit which was hosted by Sofia and on the idea to finance by nearly 30 billion euro a number of infrastructure projects that will connect the countries, businesses and people in the region and will boost its competitiveness.
“Prime Minister Borissov is personally committed to attracting financing for these projects in the Balkans. We are a bridge between Europe and Asia. I believe that the 16 + 1 meeting in Sofia in July will contribute significantly to the development of the region, which needs modern roads, railways, power lines and gas connections. I am glad that your Premier Li Keqiang will spend four days in Bulgaria,” Zaharieva said.
In early July, the Bulgarian capital will host the Seventh Summit of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries under the 16 + 1 initiative. The programme includes a plenary meeting of the prime ministers, a business forum and a documents signing ceremony.
“I hope that the summit will be a great success," Wang said. The Chinese Foreign Minister described Bulgaria as a “reliable partner” of his country in Central and Eastern Europe. He congratulated the Bulgarian EU Council Presidency on its foreign-policy record of success. “Bulgaria has some very strong points, and we can learn a lot from one another,” he added.
During the session, the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China raised the question about the rescue operation for Bulgarian mountaineer Boyan Petrov. Wang Yi said that he himself is an ardent climber and took to heart the task of organising the search for the Bulgarian.
“I am really sorry about Boyan Petrov. By order of Premier Li Keqiang we organised rescuers, but the weather conditions and the altitude were a problem during all the time. Petrov’s wife decided to discontinue the operation and you informed us of her decision. This action, however, is a landmark event in the friendship between our two countries,” Minister Wang said.
“On behalf of the Bulgarian people and on my own behalf, I would like to thank you for the assistance for Boyan Petrov. I was in constant touch with his wife. I know from Bulgarians who were on site that your rescuers acted very professionally. This effort, which brought so many countries together, will go down in the history of the Himalayas. By his death Boyan Petrov even increased our closeness. Now he is where he always wanted to be,” Deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said.
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