Bulgaria is considered a reliable friend and an important partner of Kazakhstan in Southeast Europe, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Bulgaria Viktor Temirbayev said in an interview with BTA on Thursday.
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The Central Asian country is exploring the possibility of supplying petrol via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Black Sea to Burgas, he stated.
Temirbayev, who has been in the country since the end of last year, pointed out that the bilateral agenda is not burdened by any controversial or problematic issues, and even on the contrary: "We have significant untapped potential for mutually beneficial cooperation. First and foremost, this applies to the trade and economic, investment and transit-transport spheres," he added.
The potential refers not only to the sphere of energy resources, which the Central Asian country is rich in, but also to areas such as industry, information technology, pharmaceuticals and agriculture, he said.
Opportunities for strenghtening of the cooperation were presented to the Bulgarian business on April 26 by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Bulgaria during a forum held in the building of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).
The Ambassador also highlighted the ongoing work towards establishing a direct air link between the two countries, which would benefit both businessmen and investors.
Currently, over 130 students from Kazakhstan are studying in Bulgaria and efforts are being made to deepen the cultural bond between the two countries. Initiatives in this direction are the implementation of twinning between the two metropolitan cities Sofia and Astana, as well as between Plovdiv and the southern Kazakh city of Shymkent, said Temirbayev. ■
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