With the New Bulgarian Ambassador in Portugal, BCCI Discussed the Development of Trade and Economic Relations with the Iberian Country

Elena Shekerletova, the newly appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of Portugal, visited BCCI and talked with its President Tsvetan Simeonov. The development of the trade and economic relations between the two countries was a subject of discussion. There are good opportunities for reinforcing the bilateral partnership and this will be helped by the joint work between the Embassy and BCCI. It was agreed that the business contacts between small and medium-sized companies from both countries are made more active through a large number of joint initiatives, including the exchange of business delegations, bilateral forums and B2B meetings, among others.

BCCI has maintained long-standing cooperation with partners in Portugal, dating back to 1982, when an Agreement was signed with the Institute for Foreign Trade, Investments and Tourism (ICEP) – currently, the Portuguese Agency for Investments and Foreign Trade (AICEP). Within this partnership, many joint initiatives have been launched over the years.

Mr Simeonov acquainted the Diplomat with the wide range of activities of the Chamber in support of the business, the advantages of the voluntary Unified Trade Register at BCCI, the well-developed regional structure and the network of sectoral organisations.

Data of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) shows that as at 1 July 2025, the aggregate direct foreign investments from Portugal in Bulgaria amounted to EUR 27.6 million.