“Last year was remarkable in our bilateral relations, as we marked the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations during the official visit of our president to Korea from May 13-15,” said Bulgarian Ambassador Petar Andonov in a speech at Grand Hyatt Seoul on Thursday.

“Bulgaria and Korea are committed to advancing fundamental values of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and finding durable solutions in sustainable development, nuclear nonproliferation and other international issues.”

During the presidential visit, Andonov said, several memorandums of understanding were signed for cooperation in defense, science and technology, education, culture and sports.

They include a memorandum between the Southern Europe Sofia Tech Park and Samsung Electronics for an innovation ecosystem called “Room of the Future,” which opened inside the Sofia Tech Park in December, as well as another between the Bulgarian Association of Computer Software Companies and the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation.

Other important memorandums were signed between the Executive Agency of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises of Bulgaria and the Korean Federation of Small and Medium Businesses, between the Association of Bulgarian Exporters and the Korean Importers Association and between the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists of Bulgaria and the Federation of Korean Industries. 

The ambassador mentioned that the first session of the Intergovernmental Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation was held “successfully” in Sofia on Oct. 6 last year “as the very first important follow-up to the summit meeting.” The committee’s second session for industrial cooperation and the third session for information and communication technology collaboration will be held later this year.

Highlighting that the two countries have competitive edges in the hardware and software industries respectively, the envoy stressed that these strengths could act as “a solid base for an active partnership” in the creative economy drive implemented by President Park’s administration.

“Bulgaria will continue to facilitate partnerships between Bulgarian and Korean companies, particularly in information communication technology, infrastructure, manufacturing, transportation, logistics and tourism,” he added.

As part of his speech, Andonov acknowledged Mihal Ashminov, co-owner of the Bulgarian restaurant Zelen in Itaewon, Seoul, for promoting Bulgaria as “an attractive destination for tourism, food and wines,” particularly through his appearance on television show “Please Take Care of my Refrigerator” on JTBC.

He also expressed his appreciation to Filip Ashminov, another co-owner of the restaurant and its main chef Vasil Terziyski, who served Bulgarian cuisine at the venue.

Choi Sung-joo, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Ambassador for Performance Evaluation, said, “Bulgaria is a country of natural and historical wonders, boasting many archaeological remains, scenic mountains and springs. With its strategic location, the country is a political and economic leader in Southeastern Europe.”

Underlining the two countries’ “strategic locations as gateways to our respective regions,” the Korean diplomat said the current bilateral trade volume of some $300 million could further increase, with potentials to be tapped in infrastructure, logistics, ICT and science.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)