Trade between Tunisia and Bulgaria showed an upward trend in the last two years, totaling $270 million in 2021 and $180 million over the first six months of 2022, according to the Ambassador of Bulgaria in Tunis Veselin Dyankov.

Bulgarian exports amounted to $147 million, while imports stood at $33 million, the diplomat told TAP.

In spite of the impact of the Ukraine war, Veselin Dyankov said, trade increased. The end of the COVID-19 pandemic helped boost trade.

Efforts made by the two countries helped advance trade, the Bulgarian ambasssador said. A memorandum of understanding was signed last November 7 in Sofia by the Confederation of Tunisian Citizen Enterprises (CONECT International in french) and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The agreement was inked during a trade mission organized by CONECT to Bulgaria. It is the fruit of efforts made by Tunisia's embassy to Bulgaria and CONECT.

"Tunisian business operators can invest in various sectors in Bulgaria- a member state of the European Union," Veselin Dyankov said. This mainly includes car industry, the electronic engineering industry, the food industry and the agro-food Industry.

The ambassador urged operators in his country to invest on Tunisia which, he said, has several assets, mainly the human capital and openness on the African market as it is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

The embassy is working, in collaboration with Tunisian authorities, on organizing the meeting of the Tunisian-Bulgarian Joint Economic Commission set for 2023 in Tunisia.