Turkish Trade Minister Bolat meets Bulgarian PM Zhelyazkov, discussing $10B trade target
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat shakes hands with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov at a meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Mar. 25, 2025. (Photo via X/@omerbolatTR)
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat met Tuesday with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Economy and Industry Minister Petar Dilov in Sofia as part of a series of meetings with representatives from the Bulgarian business community.
Following the meetings, Bolat wrote on X that they discussed “existing cooperation opportunities, steps to increase bilateral trade volume, and potential joint projects.” He emphasized Türkiye’s commitment to strengthening trade and economic ties with its “friendly and neighboring country,” Bulgaria, noting that both sides aim to raise the current trade volume of $7.8 billion to $10 billion and diversify mutual investments and projects.
Underscoring Türkiye’s priority in enhancing commercial relations with Bulgaria, Bolat added, “We believe today’s meeting, which brought together our business communities, will further strengthen our bilateral ties.”
Cooperation in renewable energy, defense
In a separate meeting with Prime Minister Zhelyazkov, Minister Bolat addressed several key issues, including the $10 billion bilateral trade target, ongoing upgrades at border gates, and alignment with the EU Green Deal, the union’s flagship strategy to make its economy sustainable, climate-neutral, and resource-efficient by 2050.
Bolat highlighted that Türkiye and Bulgaria have opportunities for collaboration in the fields of renewable energy and defense industries.
“As Türkiye, we are determined to strengthen our relations with our friendly and neighboring country, Bulgaria,” he said.
