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The event’s focus was on highlighting the advantages of investing in Bulgarian agriculture and food industry. Prepared within the framework of IBA’s project “Promoting the Benefits of Investing in Bulgaria,” this is the forth such tour as part of the “Journalistic Tours on Various Sectoral Issues.” Envoys representing global media outlets (Financial Times, Kommersant, Reuters, Asahi, Yonhap, etc.) from the United Kingdom, Russia, South Korea, Japan, Italy and EU member states were invited to take part and become familiar with the current business climate in the country and the competitive advantages offered by the local industry.

Bulgaria signed an investment agreement with OAO Gazprom (GAZP), Russia’s gas export monopoly, to build the South Stream pipeline, which will ship natural gas across the Black Sea and Bulgaria to Europe. Bulgaria also signed a new long-term gas-supply contract, which involves a 20 percent price cut from Jan. 1, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov told reporters in Sofia today. Gazprom kept the link between oil and gas prices in the contract and will ship 2.9 billion cubic meters of the fuel a year, the Moscow-based company said in a statement today. Bulgaria has an 80 percent take-or-pay obligation, Energy and Economy Minister Delyan Dobreb said at the news conference. “We’ve agreed on very preferential prices for Bulgaria,” Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexey Miller told reporters. “With South Stream, Bulgaria becomes the biggest transit country for Russian gas in Europe.”

Nov 21 (Reuters) - Turkey's telecoms company Turk Telekom said on Wednesday it had placed non-binding bids to buy Bulgaria's Cosmo Mobile (Globul) and Germanos Telecom Bulgaria. Turk Telekom said in a statement to Istanbul Stock Exchange that the bids were placed as part of the company's plans for regional expansion.

“In 2011 Bulgaria’s export to China increased by 103.2% against 2010. China is a country with increasing consumption of agricultural production, while Bulgaria has the conditions and means to cultivate crops that are favourable for the Chinese market,” Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Delyan Dobrev said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Miao Wei, Minister for Industry and Information Technology. Minister Dobrev is on a visit to China to take part in the Invest in Bulgaria forum, organised by the Bulgarian Investment Agency and the Shanghai Foreign Investment Development Board, the press office of the Bulgarian ministry announced.At the meeting Dobrev also expressed his wish for increase of the number of Chinese tourists in Bulgaria. In January-August 2012 the number of Chinese tourists that visited Bulgaria has increased by 31% compared to the same period in 2011.

Historically, from 2008 until 2012, Bulgaria Exports averaged 2662.2 Million BGL reaching an all time high of 3652.4 Million BGL in May of 2012 and a record low of 1592.0 Million BGL in January of 2009. Bulgaria exports mostly fuels, manufactured goods (clothing, footwear), machinery and transport equipment and chemicals. Bulgaria's main exports partners are Germany,Turkey, Italy, Greece and Romania.