Germans and Spaniards Bid for Ruse

Foreign investors are competing to invest in Ruse (northeastern Bulgaria). Spanish, German and Greek companies are willing to buy terrains and build factories in the future industrial park near the Danube River. The park will be erected on 64 ha of land. The main investor, the French company Montupe, will spend around 80 million euro on the project.

The town of Ruse has to make sure that the foreigners feel at home. The Bulgarian state will allot around seven million levs (1 euro = 1.95 levs) for the park's infrastructure. The Municipality of Ruse will have to choose the contractors.

"We will insist on the participation of companies from Ruse in the project. This will create around 200-300 new jobs. The park is meant for the citizens of Ruse and it has to be constructed by them," said Bozidar Jotov, mayor of Ruse.

The Romans called Ruse Sexaginta Prista - the harbor of the sixty ships. The thousand-year-old history of the town has always been closely connected with the River. In the beginning, there was only a primitive wharf erected in the middle of a swamp. A Roman fort was build later that protected the north border of the Roman Empire. Ruse became a center for the transfer of goods from North and Central Europe to Istanbul.

The foundations of today's port were laid in 1866 when the first stone wall was constructed and the Ruse-Varna railway was launched.

Today the port is Ruse's gate towards Europe.