The annual trade turnover between Bulgaria and Italy exceeds 3 bln euros and the interest of Italian investors in Bulgaria is considerable, it emerged at a Bulgarian-Italian round table on infrastructural, environmental and energy issues today. The forum is organized by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE), the BTA reported.

The round table was opened by Italy's ambassador to Bulgaria, Gian-Batista Campagnola, deputy finance minister Lyubomir Datsov, representatives of Italy's Ministry of International Trade and of Bulgaria's Ministry of Economy and Energy, as well as by ICE's director for Bulgaria Fabrizio Camastra.

The volume of Italian investments in Bulgaria exceeds 2 bln euros, while Italy has been a partner in many projects implemented in Bulgaria, Campagnola said. The strong interest by Italian investors was sparked by the good relations between the two countries, Campagnola added. The Bulgarian economy was considered to function well even prior to the country's EU accession, whilesome countries accepted into the union prior to Bulgaria have bigger problems, Campagnola added.

Bulgaria made a sacrifice with the early decommissioning of units 3 and 4 of the Kzloduy nuclear power plant, Campagnola added.