The Voice of Canada News:

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, met the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Boyko Borissov in Sofia. During the discussions, the President said that under his leadership Bulgaria has made appreciable progress as a nation. He also complimented him for successfully conducting the rotating Presidency of the European Union from January to June 2018.

The President said India is keen to substantially upgrade its economic relations with Bulgaria. Bulgaria is doing well in the fields of IT, pharma, technology, food processing, among other sectors. These are areas where there is strong interest among Indian companies to forge joint ventures and invest in Bulgaria.

The President said that our defence collaboration has been going on for long. India is keen to leverage Bulgarian know-how and technology. India invites Bulgarian companies to come and manufacture in India as part of our Make in India programme.

Later in the day, the President, jointly with the President of Bulgaria, unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at South Park, Sofia. In his remarks on the occasion, the President said that he was grateful to the people of Bulgaria for giving Mahatma Gandhi an eternal home in Bulgaria on their special day – the National Unification Day. This is a meaningful tribute to a man who dedicated his entire life to the service of humanity. In these times of strife, reckless violence and wanton destruction, his thoughts and values are ever more relevant.

Following the conclusion of his visit to Bulgaria, the President left for the Czech Republic – the last leg of his journey to three European nations – Cyprus, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

Addressing the gathering, the President said that there are natural synergies between the two economies and we need to tap them for our mutual benefit. Bulgarian companies can take advantage of the high growth trajectory of the Indian economy. And Indian companies could form partnerships in Bulgaria both for the domestic market and for the wider EU economy. The President said that our bilateral trade stands at just over US $ 300 million. This falls way below potential. He expressed confidence that a lot more can be dothe ne together if we drive deeper into each other’s economies.

The President attended a banquet hosted in his honour by the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev. In his remarks at the banquet, the President said that the future of our relations lies with our youth. We must get our young ones to engage with each other. Bulgarian star, Dimitar Berbatov has already inspired many football fans in India. And now, with the magic of cinema and the beauty of the Bulgarian mountains at work, we are connecting still more.