Ireland

Contacts in the Ministry of Economy and Industry

Vessela Bayraktarova

Head of Europe Department

Foreign Economic Cooperation Directorate

tel.: +359 2 9407886

v.bairaktarova@mi.government.bg

Ketya Manoilova

State expert, Europe department

Foreign economic cooperation directorate

tel.: + 359 2 940 7823

k.manoilova@mi.government.bg

Economic relations between Bulgaria and Ireland

1. Trade turnover (mln. euro)

Year	Export	Growth %	Import	Growth %	Balance	Total turnover	Growth %
2011	14.8	72.1	77.0	43.1	-62.2	91.8	47.1
2012	30.4	105.4	84.8	10.1	-54.4	115.2	25.5
2013	29.8	-2.0	82.2	-3.1	-52.4	112	-2.8
2014	71.7	140.6	79.2	-5.7	-7.4	150.9	33.2
2015	29.9	-58.3	81.3	4.9	-51.4	111.2	-25.5
2016	33.9	13.7	98.2	20.8	-64.3	132.1	18.9
2017	46.4	36.9	114.3	16.4	-67.9	160.7	21.6
2018	97.8	110.8	137.4	20.2	-39.6	235.3	46.3
2019	83.3	-14.9	182.2	32.5	-98.9	265.5	12.8
2020	66.3	-20.4	185.1	1.6	-118.8	251.4	-5.3
2021	60.3	-4.9	239.5	40.4	-179.2	299.7	28.1
2022	101.0	54.4	200.0	-21.4	-98.98	301.0	-5.9
2022 1-6	50.1		114.3		-64.2	164.4
2023 1-6	69.8	39.3	98.1	-14.1	-28.4	167.9	2.1

Source: Ministry of Economy and Industry

2. Irish investments in Bulgaria

By the end of the first half of 2023, total investments from Ireland amount to €764.5 million.

Investments are mainly in the field of real estate, hotels and restaurants, financial intermediation, construction, trade, processing industry and mining, transport and communications. There are opportunities to attract Irish investment in the field of infrastructure, telecommunications, energy.

3. Bilateral cooperation

From Bulgaria’s point of view, the expansion of cooperation with Ireland has the following advantages:

Expansion of markets (especially of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, wines, products of the glass, textile, footwear, electrical, chemical and pharmaceutical industries).

Opportunities for co-operation, joint venture and export to the Irish market.

Potential investor and joint venture partner.