Minister of Economy and Industry Nikola Stojanov held a meeting with Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan, South Korea. The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Bulgaria H.E. Lee Ho-shik and the President of the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jung In-hwa.
Minister Stojanov stressed that in 2021, the total trade with Korea amounts to over USD 400 million and marks a growth of over 60%. “These figures show definite progress in our economic relations, but I am sure that with more bilateral initiatives, we can surpass these numbers many times over,” Minister Stojanov stressed.
During the meeting, Park Heong-joon handed over a letter on behalf of Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol expressing the Republic of Korea’s desire to deepen bilateral cooperation in a number of areas of mutual interest. “South Korea is a traditional and priority partner of Bulgaria and I am sure that together we will work to intensify and deepen the socio-economic ties between our two countries,” Minister Stojanov said.
The two sides agreed that there is huge potential in sectors such as digitisation, energy (with a focus on green energy) and the defence industry.
During the meeting, the Mayor of Busan presented the city’s candidacy to host the World Expo 2030.