Bulgarian Military Explained the F-16 Training Flights Seen Over Sofia
Training flights involving Bulgaria’s F-16 fighter jets were carried out over Sofia yesterday, with several of the aircraft seen flying above the capital.
Govt Ecstatic about 1st IKEA Store in Bulgaria
Business | June 3, 2010, Thursday // 14:12
- Tweet
Send to Kindle
“The foundations of the first IKEA store in Bulgaria have been set by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Boyko Borisov, on June 3, 2010," reads the plaque that PM Borisov installed himself during the ground-breaking ceremony. Photo BGNES
Senior epresentatives of the Bulgarian government were jubilant during the ground-breaking ceremony of the first IKEA store in the country.
“We all know that when IKEA comes this means good investment climate, and a stable state,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said at during the ceremony.
Borisov gave the start of the construction of the IKEA store together with Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova and the Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev.
According to the Prime Minister, the operation of the IKEA store will help Bulgarian wood processing plants as timber will not have to be exported in such mass quantities as it is at present.
Both Sofia Mayor Fandakov and Regional Development Minister Plevneliev declared that IKEA’s arrival in Bulgaria is good news not just for Sofia but also for the entire country, also noting that the future store in the capital might attract clients from neighboring states.
“IKEA changes entire cities. This store is evidence that international investors see Bulgaria as a platform for the development of their business strategy,” Plevneliev commented while admitting that the future IKEA store will likely cause further traffic jams on the already congested Sofia Beltway.
“The opening of the IKEA store will jam the entire city but I wish for this opening nonetheless,” the Minister said. Plevneliev was the first to raise alarm in the fall of 2009 that the expansion of the Sofia Beltway is falling behind, and might not be ready by the time the IKEA store is opened. He has claimed to have taken measures to speed up the road rehabilitation and construction.
According to estimates of the Fourlis Group, IKEA’s first store in Bulgaria will attract 1.6 million clients in the first year after its opening.
The Greek company Fourlis is IKEA’s franchise holder for Greece, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. It plans to invest EUR 50 M in the construction of store, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2011. It will employ about 350 people.
The Greek company has also made it clear it would consider the opening of another IKEA store in Varna, and potentially even a third store in the Plovdiv-Stara Zagora region in Southern Bulgaria.
The IKEA store in Sofia with a total area of about 30 000 square meters will be located at 216 Beltway road; it will feature a parking lot with 1 200 spaces as well as a restaurant with 600 seats.
“We know that when IKEA enters a new market, the home furniture market starts growing. There is increased interest in these products leading to the development of the entire industry. These are our expectations for Bulgaria,” said Vassilis Fourlis, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Fourlis Group in a statement the day before the opening.
An interview of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) with Fourlis Group Manager George Alevizos about IKEA’s entering of the Bulgarian market READ HERE
Related Articles:
Bulgarian F-16s Fly Over Sofia - Not Related to Iran (VIDEO)
Bulgarian F-16s carried out training flights over Sofia on Tuesday, March 10, as part of a planned exercise organized by the Ministry of Defense.
Bulgaria: Mystery Drone Forces Brief Closure of Airspace above Sofia Airport
Airspace above Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport was temporarily shut down on Saturday after security systems detected a drone in the vicinity of the capital’s main aviation hub
Sofia Secures Waste Collection Contracts in Six Districts Until 2031
The Sofia Municipality has completed contractor selection procedures for two waste management zones in the capital: Zone 2, covering Vazrazhdane, Oborishte and the central part of Triaditsa, and Zone 5, which includes Iskar, Kremikovtsi and Pancharevo
Society | March 6, 2026, Friday // 09:03
Bulgaria Boosts Security Around Airports as US Military Planes Operate Amid Middle East Crisis
Bulgaria has stepped up security measures around airports and sites hosting American and Israeli personnel amid escalating tensions in the Middle East
Bulgaria: 4 US Military Planes Take Off From Sofia, 5 More Arrive amid Middle East War
At Sofia Airport, four US military planes departed late last night, according to an eyewitness who shared a video on Facebook showing one of the aircraft accelerating along the runway
Limited Reserves Put Pressure on Small Gas Stations in Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s state fuel reserves are sufficient to cover normal consumption for the next 90 days, but domestic fuel prices continue to climb amid the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East
Interim PM: Bulgaria Aims to Be Among First in Europe to Build AP1000 Reactors
Acting Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov highlighted the strategic importance of energy infrastructure for the European Union during a meeting in Paris with other European leaders, convened at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Fuel Tourism: Romanians and Greeks Cross into Bulgaria for Cheaper Petrol and Diesel
Bulgaria is increasingly turning into a destination for motorists from neighboring countries seeking cheaper fuel, as turbulence on global oil markets linked to tensions in the Middle East continues to influence prices across the region.
Bulgaria’s Fuel Prices Could Rise Depending on Duration of the Middle East Crisis
The ongoing military conflict in the Middle East is expected to influence fuel prices in Bulgaria with a lag of approximately 7 to 14 days, potentially pushing inflation in the country up by around 0.6%, according to economist Assoc. Prof. Shteryo Nozharo
Milk Crisis in Bulgaria: Consumers Suffer, Producers Barely Break Even
The Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) has highlighted a troubling disparity in Bulgaria’s dairy sector: consumers face some of the highest prices for dairy products in the European Union, while local producers and processors struggle to s
Bulgaria Among EU Leaders for Lowest Electricity and Gas Prices, Eurostat Confirms
Electricity and natural gas prices in Bulgaria remain among the lowest in the European Union, according to the latest figures published by the European statistics agency Eurostat for the first half of 2025.
