US Diplomat Lauds Bulgaria’s Progress

Ambassador James Warlick | Photo by: US Department of State

Ambassador James Warlick would encourage American investors to put their money into Bulgaria, he said in an interview with Bulgarian National Television on Thursday.

In addition to its low debt level, Bulgaria’s good position in the EU and NATO make it attractive, Warlick said.

“We see a strong democracy here. Bulgaria has made much progress,” he said.

Though unemployment is close to 10 per cent in Bulgaria, as in the United States, Warlick hopes to see “a renewed dynamism in the economy, and new investments”.

It is up to government to create the environments that encourage economic growth, he told Bulgarian television.

Warlick says he looks forward to working with new President Rossen Plevneliev, who was a regional development minister until he was elected to his new post in the October elections.

The ambassador added that he also hopes to continue working with outgoing President Georgi Purvanov. Purvanov’s pro-European development GERB party has a window of opportunity to carry out reform, Warlick said.