Sliven should not be on the periphery of Bulgaria’s economic transformation but at the heart of the country’s new economic policy, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry Alexander Poulev said at a meeting with businesses and local government representatives in the city. Deputy ministers and MPs from the region also attended.
The Minister recalled that the government was pursuing a policy of accelerated economic development that required ongoing dialogue with industry. “That is why we are travelling across the country. We are not afraid to look businesspeople in the eye and gather feedback,” he said.
Poulev said he had led business delegations to China and Indonesia and was due to travel to Washington, where the focus would be on the defence industry. He noted that the delegations always included representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as large businesses. Together with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, he had also visited Poland, Belgium, Germany and France. According to Poulev, the message Bulgaria was receiving there was that it should not remain on the periphery of the EU but should play an active role in shaping European policies.
The Minister also commented on the impact of geopolitical upheavals on the energy system and the economy. In his view, short-term effects such as price pressures and inflation would eventually subside, but in the longer term, value chains and transport and logistics links were being reshaped.
He said that the Northern Corridor had been blocked because of the war in Ukraine, prompting much of the freight to be rerouted through the Trans-Caspian, or Middle, Corridor. This has increased pressure on the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing, where traffic sometimes exceeds that at the border crossing between Tijuana and the United States. Poulev stressed that Sliven was located about 100 km from the Kapitan Andreevo crossing and roughly the same distance from the Port of Burgas.
The Minister recalled that, while serving as caretaker innovation minister in Galab Donev’s government, he had established the first programme of its kind to support investment in industrial zones using EU funds. One of Sliven’s economic zones had benefited from the programme.
Poulev also said that the Bulgarian Development Bank was developing new financial instruments for small and medium-sized businesses, including funding for agricultural cooperatives. The aim was to ensure a level playing field for Bulgarian and imported goods in retail chains.
The Minister also highlighted funding opportunities through the Fund of Funds, including a regional development fund with resources earmarked for Southern Bulgaria. The funding could be used for energy efficiency projects and healthcare, social and cultural infrastructure, either independently or in combination with municipal and state projects.
Sliven Should Be at Heart of Bulgaria’s New Economic Policy, Minister Poulev Says THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-10 10:39:00
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