Eric Santkin
Economic and commercial attache at the Belgian embassy
The main activity of the Trade Office of the Belgian Regional Authorities in Sofia is to promote Belgian products and services in Bulgaria. This is seen through the trade representation’s realisation of trade missions, collective booths in fairs and contact days for specific sectors.
After its start-up in 2001, the Trade Representation in Sofia developed contacts with the main Bulgarian economic organisations, department stores, importers, contractors and consulting companies. Through these contacts, possibilities were created to mark and to market quality from Belgium. Initially representing Walloon companies, since 2006 the Trade Representation in Sofia has also been representing trade from the Flanders and Brussels regions, as well as from Luxembourg.
The most important and successful trade mission so far was organised in December 2006. Presided over by the Crown Prince, HRH Philippe of Belgium, a large number of companies showed their know-how, in particular in the areas of infrastructure, environment and industrial products. During the opening seminar, in which participated Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov, Belgium and Bulgaria, partners in the European Union, confirmed their readiness to co-operate in business-related as well as in legal matters.
Every other year, the Trade Representation in Sofia organises a participation in the Plovdiv Autumn Fair. 2007 was a special year, because Wallonia participated as a leading partner of the cross-border organisation Grande Region, which was guest of honour at the fair. Walloon minister president Rudy Demotte attended the opening ceremony. Together with the participation of Flemish companies in a Flemish Trade booth, the Belgian participation in the 2007 fair was by far the most important of the institutionalised participations of the 1970s and 1980s.
More recently, in December 2007, a seminar on European funds was organised in Sofia at the Hilton Hotel, in co-operation with KRIB, and attended by more than 90 people. It provided 10 Brussels-based companies with an opportunity to exchange views with Bulgarian counterparts on prospects offered by the European funds. In May 2008, a group of meat exporters from the Flemish Meat Organisation VLAM met Bulgarian companies during a contact day. More than 100 appointments were made, thanks to good co-operation on the side of the Bulgarian Association of Meat Producers and co-ordination with participants.
Presently, attention is focused on the preparation and launching of an important economic delegation from Flanders and Wallonia, scheduled for October in Sofia, composed of more than 30 companies, mainly attracted by environment protection, water treatment, agro-food industries, construction and infrastructure, as well as services, IT and subcontracting.
