02.10.2026 / APACCCEEC and EU SME Centre Discuss Partnership on 30 September 2026
On September 30th, 2026, a meeting between Dr. Momchil Stanishev, Director of APACCCEEC, and Mr. Davide Orlandi, EU Partnerships Manager at the EU SME Centre, took place at APACCCEEC’s office. Ms. Patricia Aranguren Moliner, Assistant Manager at Dezan Shira & Associates, also took part in the meeting.
Mr. Orlandi and Ms. Aranguren Moliner were visiting Sofia to participate as keynote speakers in the hybrid seminar “China’s Wine Market: A Guide for Exporters” jointly organized by APACCCEEC, the EU SME Centr and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on September 29th, 2026 in Sofia.
The meeting was held in the context of the memorandum signed between APACCCEEC and the EU SME Centre in September 2025. With the document, both sides declare their common desire to design and implement joint activities that create synergies and promote SMEs interested in doing business in China. The first joint event of APACCCEEC and the EU SME Centre took place in November 2025.
During the meeting, Dr. Momchil Stanishev and Mr. Davide Orlandi both introduced the activities and priorities of the two organizations. The Director of APACCCEEC outlined major strands of activities of APACCCCEEC, such as the functioning of APACCCEEC’s Liaison Office and Permanent Pavilion in Ningbo, which aims to showcase products from the food, beverage and cosmetics sector and to support the entry of CEE enterprises into the Chinese market, the organization of pavilions at international trade fairs in China and the CEE countries, APACCCEEC’s regular participation in the China-CEEC Expo, the seminar on the registration of F&B products for export to China held in July this year, the activities related to the organization of educational seminars in China, APACCCEEC’s demonstration areas in Bulgaria, analytical activities of APACCCEEC, as well as activities aiming to promote entrepreneurship, including the Accelerator Program for start-ups in the field of agriculture between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which was held in 2023, and the Academy for Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, which has so far taken place in five Bulgarian cities.
Mr. Davide Orlandi provided information about activities of the EU SME Centre relating to the organization of business missions to China with the participation of European enterprises, the participation in trade fairs and the preparation of analytical materials on sectoral topics. The meeting provided both sides with the opportunity to discuss opportunities for new joint activities and events between APACCEEC and the EU SME Centre in the forthcoming year 2027. Both parties also exchanged opinions about the needs of the European enterprises wishing to export to China and the challenges they meet.
Following the meeting, the foreign guests had the opportunity to examine products from the CEE countries exhibited at the demonstration space situated in APACCCEEC’s office.
