SOFIA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A veteran Bulgarian politician has voiced hope for further cooperation between Bulgaria and China.
Bulgaria has played a constructive role in the development of the cooperation mechanism between China and the Central and East European Countries, and it could learn from China in a number of sectors that are defining the 21st century, said Zahari Zahariev, chairman of Bulgaria National Association for the Belt and Road.
"For Bulgaria, it is most important, and in my opinion, the most promising, to stress on projects related to infrastructure," said Zahariev, also a former member of the Bulgarian parliament.
Highlighting the "enormous opportunities" in renewable energy cooperation with China, a leader in the area of photovoltaics, he said there is potential for further cooperation with China in domains related to public goods, such as waste disposal, transport and medical care.
Taking the construction of waste processing plants, the expert said: "this is a sector in which Bulgaria lags behind, but in which China has huge successes. And...in addition to recycling, it is also directly related to energy production, of course."
China could also play a role in helping Bulgaria upgrade its transport infrastructure, Zahariev said, adding this is a major task for Bulgaria, and in this field "China has enormous experience and also resources."
On the so-called "decoupling" from China, Zahariev said it will cause great harm.
"We have to keep in mind that when we talk about China, we're talking about a third of the world economy. We are talking about the scientific and technical potential of a country that is the most prosperous in terms of opening a new page in the digital age of modern humanity," said the expert.
"So, if we try to eliminate China in any of these areas, we're going to affect the stability of the world as a whole," Zahariev said.
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