The radio show "Who Speaks?" from Darik Radio visited the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Berlin from December 12 to 14, 2024, to discuss diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Germany, as well as German-Bulgarian trade and economic relations with various guests.
The show was hosted by moderator Georgi Donkov, who first gave the floor to Grigor Porozhanov, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Federal Republic of Germany. Porozhanov emphasized the high significance of economic aspects in the relations and explained that cooperation encompasses various sectors, ranging from light to heavy industry, information technologies, digitalization, to services.
In the course of the broadcast, Dipl.-Ing. Heiko Schmidt, honorary consul of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Free State of Saxony, explained that Germany has been Bulgaria's most important trading partner for years, with 60,000 Bulgarians working in approximately 3,000 German companies based in Bulgaria. This year, the trade volume between the two countries is expected to reach a new record of 12 billion euros.
"Why is the German economy investing in Bulgaria, and does the government hinder or assist in this process?" and "What is your business, and what do you specialize in?" were some of the questions posed by Georgi Donkov, to which Mr. Schmidt responded during the Darik Radio show.
"For exactly 20 years, I have been providing various engineering services for international clients in Bulgaria," he said, citing the example of overseeing the planning and construction of the offshore section of the "South Stream" gas pipeline and monitoring odor pollution in the northern Bulgarian city of Ruse using a mobile gas chromatograph (as a prerequisite for modeling with AUSTAL).
Dipl.-Ing. Svoboda Schmidt with Jasper Jansen in a TV interview on 7 Days TV
The honorary consul discussed the interests of German entrepreneurs in Bulgaria and highlighted the significance of the Southeast European country as an investment location. Additionally, Schmidt mentioned that a continuous exchange between German entrepreneurs and politicians regarding their experiences and current projects in Bulgaria takes place in the "German-Bulgarian Forum."Furthermore, through his membership in the East Committee of the German Economy, he gains valuable insights into the experiences of entrepreneurs in various Balkan countries. Regular meetings are held within the framework of the Country Working Groups for Southeast Europe. It is also worth mentioning the highly committed German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which includes most German companies active in Bulgaria.
"With our company DQS Bulgaria, we are a strong partner for the certification of companies operating at the international level and aiming to meet German standards," said Schmidt. He also mentioned that his Bulgarian wife, Svoboda Schmidt, serves as the Technical Director and lead auditor in his company INNO-CON and is the Managing Director of DQS Bulgaria. Svoboda Schmidt is responsible for the consistently high quality of services and enjoys the trust of our business partners throughout Europe due to her excellent professional expertise.
You can listen to the complete interview in Bulgarian at the following link: https://darik.bg/zasto-germanskiat-biznes-investira-v-balgaria
