Meeting with the New Bulgarian Commercial Counselor in Ankara

The President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov, held a meeting with the newly appointed Commercial Counselor of Bulgaria in Ankara, Mr. Alexander Angelov. The partnership between the Chamber and the new Counselor already has its own history, as Mr. Angelov previously held the same position in Serbia between 2019 and 2023. He later served as a desk officer for several Balkan and European countries at the Ministry of Economy and Industry.

Mr. Simeonov presented an updated overview of BCCI’s cooperation with Turkish partners, emphasizing the Chamber's strong and active relations with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Istanbul, Bursa, Edirne, Çanakkale, and Izmir, as well as with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations, and various regional and sectoral organizations.

During the meeting, the changes in the registration requirements for trade representative offices of foreign companies in Bulgaria were presented in detail, as this matter is important for many Turkish partners. As of now, the register of BCCI includes 1,881 trade representative offices of Turkish companies and 2,369 companies with Turkish capital.

The recent Balkan Forum in Bansko was also discussed, with over 150 companies and business leaders from Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia participating. The forum served as a platform for the exchange of ideas between Bulgarian entrepreneurs and foreign investors, fostering partnerships among Balkan businesses and setting directions for the development of innovations across various economic sectors.

Mr. Simeonov underlined the importance of BCCI’s and Bulgaria’s active engagement in the BSEC Business Council, especially in light of Bulgaria’s current presidency through the end of 2025, as well as in the Association of Balkan Chambers (ABC). These formats include Turkish partners and foster multilevel collaboration that benefits the business community.

An active exchange of information was agreed upon between BCCI and the Bulgarian Commercial and Economic Section in Ankara.