Bulgarian president to visit Turkey

Turkey, which once used to be the largest importer of Bulgarian electricity, has stopped the imports last April, citing Bulgaria’s refusal to hire a Turkish construction company for two infrastructure projects in a deal related to the electricity exports.

Turkish businessmen have complained that Bulgaria required them to hire at least ten locals to start a business in the country.

Another key issue in Parvanov’s talks in the capital Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necded Sezer and Prime Minister Recep Erdogan is expected to be cooperation in struggle against terrorism, organized crime.

Parvanov and Turkey’s leaders are expected also to discuss joint efforts to build security on the Balkans and participation in rebuilding and stabilizing Iraq.

Parvanov will be accompanied by a delegation of 60 Bulgarian businessmen, who will meet their Turkish colleagues at a business forum.

He is scheduled to travel to Istanbul, Izmir and Efes and meet members of the Bulgarian community in Turkey and organizations of Bulgarian ethnic Turks, who have fled communist reprisals in the late 1980s.