February 8 (BTA) - The business relations
between Bulgaria and Romania are developing despite the
pandemic. Bulgarian companies' traditionally bigger interest in
Romania remained stable, while an increasing number of inquiries
 are being submitted in recent months by Romanian companies
seeking customers in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian-Romanian Chamber of
 Commerce and Industry (BRCCI) CEO, Eleonora Ivanova, told BTA
in an interview.

The Bulgarian side is looking for partners in traditional
sectors, such as food and cosmetics, while there is growing
interest in machine-building, Ivanova said. The BRCCI is
receiving a growing number of inquiries by both sides about
different raw materials, which is obviously normal given the
crisis, which has lead to shortages and price hikes, she said.
Software companies from both countries are seeking customers by
offering specialized products in different sectors, such as
agribusiness, the industrial sector, among others, Ivanova went
on to explain.

Romania is one of Bulgaria's biggest trade partners

The BRCCI head said that, according to national statistics,
Bulgaria's trade balance with Romania was positive between
January and October of 2021 and amounted to 1.017 billion leva.
The trade balance was only 516.7 million leva during the same
period a year earlier. Preliminary estimates show that a
record-high trade turnover is expected, which will surpass 2019,
 when the turnover was highest at 9.784 billion leva. Exports of
 Bulgarian goods to Romania has increased by 35.2 per cent,
while imports have gone up by 26.2 per cent. Romania remains
Bulgaria's second-biggest trade partner after Germany, Ivanova
explained.

Transport connectivity problems between Bulgaria and Romania

Ivanova explained that one of the BRCCI's priorities, on which
the Chamber has been working since its establishment, is
transport connectivity. "At the beginning, when we established
the Chamber, connectivity between the two countries was not on
the agenda at all," she said. This issue has not only not been
addressed throughout the years, but has become even more
serious. She recalled that there are two bridges connecting the
two countries, while trade has increased 17-fold, while tourist
exchange has also gone up significantly. This has all lead to
clogged up border checkpoints, while the COVID-19 measures have
further aggravated the problem. "We heard the new Government's
plans for [building] bridges and [improving] connectivity, but
the reality and the possibilities are very different," she
explained.

According to Ivanova, the Danube has a huge untapped potential.
"We are working very actively on projects with partner
organizations from countries along the Danube and we are
striving to attract attention to the river and the opportunities
 it so generously offers, as long as they are appreciated and
developed," she said.

The BRCCI was established in 2003 and its membership base
approaches 90 companies, which come from almost all economic
sectors. A vocational training centre was created under the
Chamber, which offers Romanian language classes. RY/MY
 

/МЙ/