President Parvanov of Bulgaria hopes depressed trade with Finland will pick up

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The President of Bulgaria, Georgi Parvanov, in Finland for a two-day visit, has expressed his hopes for a revival in the trade relations between Bulgaria and Finland.
      Trading between the two countries has clearly declined since 1999. Last year Finland exported to Bulgaria a mere EUR 25 million worth of goods and services. The previous year's figure was EUR 31 million.
     
This year exporting to Bulgaria has livened up somewhat, but Parvanov feels a lot more could still be done.
      In a press conference held together with President Tarja Halonen in the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Parvanov recalled the times when Bulgarian wines and fruit were well known in Finland.
      "Structures do exist for profitable trading. They just need to be revived", Parvanov urged.
      President Halonen agreed that among the most important tasks for presidents during state visits is to help stimulate trade links. She wished Parvanov success for his lunch meeting with Finnish industry and commerce representatives.
      Halonen also confirmed she supported Bulgaria's pursuit of EU membership.
     
Parvanov emphasised that the schedule of Bulgaria's EU membership negotiations should not be shackled to negotiations with other prospective member states.
      Originally negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania were packaged together, but Bulgaria has advanced more rapidly than its neighbour to the north.
      Bulgaria hopes to be in a position to sign an EU accession agreement at the beginning of next year. Next summer a referendum may be arranged regarding joining the Union. Bulgaria hopes to join the European Union in 2007.
     
Parvanov also pointed out that the possible EU membership of Turkey would not be a problem for Bulgaria. Historically, relationships between the two countries have not always been the best possible.
      The long Ottoman occupation still lingers in the memory of the Bulgarians, while occasionally the treatment of the Turkish minority in Bulgaria has crossed the international news threshold.
      President Halonen pointed out drily that Finland and Bulgaria have something in common, in that more often than not the media seem to be more interested in the doings of their immediate neighbours.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Bulgarian president remembers Finns who fought in the Balkans (9.11.2004)

Links:
  President of the Republic of Bulgaria
  Speech by President Halonen at Reception for President Parvanov

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