A Decade of Cooperation: How Bulgaria and China Build Bridges in Agriculture

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food officially celebrated the first decade of a strategically important international center that has become a key communication channel between Asian and European countries.

Deputy Minister Dr. Lozana Vasileva emphasized the exceptional importance of the institution during an international conference in Sofia, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Center for Promoting Agricultural Cooperation.

The institution has implemented numerous large-scale projects, among which particularly impressive are the created demonstration zones in the areas of Plovdiv and Pervomai. In parallel, two logistics hubs have been developed - one in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv and the other in the Chinese megacity Shenzhen.

A key moment in the development of the partnership is the Center's participation in the fourth international China-CEE exhibition, held in May in the city of Ningbo. Experts managed to present national pavilions in the free trade zones of Shanghai and Hangzhou, which created new opportunities for promoting Bulgarian goods.

The forum gathered an impressive lineup of international experts - including Counselor Wang Min from the Chinese embassy, Prof. Lin Changjian, Secretary General of the Alliance, and Nabil Gangi from the FAO regional office.

Among the main highlights of the conference were the contemporary challenges facing agriculture - the need for sustainable development, implementation of innovative technologies, and digitalization of the agricultural sector.

Participants discussed the potential for future cooperation, with particular interest in the Alliance for Innovations in Modern Agricultural Science and Education between China and the Central and Eastern European countries.

The forum united representatives from government institutions, academic circles, chambers of commerce, and young entrepreneurs, demonstrating the scale and potential of international partnership in the agricultural sector.

The Center's tenth anniversary became a symbolic proof of successful diplomacy and economic integration between two essentially different economies and cultures.