The fact that Morocco and another Asian country bid for the latest generation F-16 Block 70 to renovate their combat air force will speed up the implementation of the plans to start the manufacture of new jet fighters for Bulgaria and the delivery of the first aircraft to be in end-2022, Lockheed Martin reported quoting James Robinson, International Business Development Senior Manager for F-16 at the manufacturing company.

Bulgarian companies will be able to apply for infrastructure projects worth over $7bn which are to be implemented in the Lebanese Republic, it transpired after the meeting between Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Economy Alexander Manolev and Minister of Telecommunications and Chairman of the Federation of Lebanese Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Chambers Mohammad Choucair, the press office of the economy ministry reports.

The United States is among Bulgaria's top 20 trade partners, Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov said Tuesday at the opening of a conference mottoed Explore USA, cited by his ministry in a press release. The conference discussed the opportunities of Bulgarian companies to expand their business in the US.

During his official visit to Azerbaijan on 14-15 March, Bulgaria's PM Boyko Borissov discussed the future of the Balkan Gas Hub with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The bilateral cooperation in the field of power engineering and the possibilities for the participation of Azerbaijan in the hub were the key agenda items of Borissov's talks in Baku.

Bulgaria is seeking a strategic investor for its revived Belene nuclear power project on the Danube River, which is estimated to cost at least €10bn. In a statement last Monday, the Bulgarian energy ministry said that it hopes to select an investor in the next year and has asked potential bidders to file letters of interest in the project to build two 1,000 megawatt nuclear reactors.

Somfy, the international group which is a world leader in automatic systems for control of opening and closing of homes and buildings, is pondering investment in their first plant in Bulgaria. The company plans to build a high-tech base for assembling electric motors and electrical drive mechanisms in the district of Varna, Bulgarian National Radio reports.

The share of contraband cigarettes on the Bulgarian market dropped to 4.7% in the second quarter of 2018, according to a survey which looked into cigarette sales by collecting and analysing empty cigarette boxes. The findings of the survey were unveiled on 19 September by an organisation dubbed Initiative Against Illegal Trade, in the presence of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, ministers, MPs, experts and Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov.

During a meeting with members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria (AmCham) on 18 September, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov expressed satisfaction that the US has emerged as the sixth biggest investor in Bulgaria, which he attributed to the good business climate in the country. Borissov said that financial stability is something that is appreciated over time, and stressed that Bulgaria's foreign debt has fallen to 24% of GDP. The premier also noted the steady GDP growth and the diversification of investment in manufacturing.

A Bulgarian company has invented a powerful solar collector - a global innovation to be exhibited at the International Technical Fair in Plovdiv. This is one of the sensations at the business forum for investment goods and technologies that will be held 24-29 September. The invention is a solar water-heating collector that absorbs up to 30% more solar energy as compared with existing systems of this type. The product has no analogues and is highly innovative, the company's experts maintain.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Defence will pay millions for the repair of 13 old Russian tanks T-72 and 60 aiming devices for them, it transpired from an already effected scandalous public procurement. The new shock comes after the decision to extend service of 14 SU-25 jet fighters, museum pieces of the cold war period.