Bulgarian-Czech Trade Relations: 1.2 Billion Leva

The Czech Ambassador to Bulgaria, Miroslav Toman, announced at a forum in Sofia dedicated to modern technologies in defense and security, that the trade exchange between the two countries reached the impressive 1.2 billion leva in the past year.

The event, organized by the Czech Embassy, became a platform for discussion on deepening economic cooperation between Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

Economic Ties

Ambassador Toman emphasized the importance of bilateral economic relations, describing the two countries as important economic partners. He presented a broader picture of trade exchange, stating that the mutual turnover reached 2.6 billion euros for the past year. The dynamics of trade are evident, as in the first half of 2025, Czech exports showed a growth of 4.7% compared to the same period of the previous year. Imports from Bulgaria also registered a significant increase – 16.4%, reaching 653 million euros. According to the ambassador, the forum has the potential to stimulate even greater development of cooperation, especially in the field of security and the defense industry.

The Czech Republic is positioned as a key foreign investor in Bulgaria, ranking among the top 20 most important investors. Investments are distributed across various sectors, including telecommunications, media, energy, mechanical engineering, medical device manufacturing, software engineering, and others. Tourism also contributes to strengthening bilateral relations; over 200,000 Czech tourists visit Bulgaria every year, added Ambassador Toman.

National Security

At the opening of the forum, President Rumen Radev highlighted the need to increase responsibility for national security and the development of defense capabilities capable of counteracting potential threats.

"The way to guarantee peace and security in Europe is to take much greater responsibility for our own security and to develop defense capabilities that can counteract any potential threat"

stated the President, emphasizing the key importance of independent defense capacities in the context of regional and European security. The hall was filled with participants whose expressions reflected the seriousness of the topic. The atmosphere was serious, focused on discussions on national security and potential solutions for strengthening Bulgaria_q_s defense capabilities.