Bulgaria is perceived by Ukrainians mostly positively, although a significant number of citizens remain neutral. This is evidenced by the results of an all-Ukrainian survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical center in August 2025.
According to the survey, 44.3% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude towards Bulgaria (35.0% – mostly positive, 9.3% – completely positive). Only 3.7% of respondents expressed a negative attitude (2.7% – mostly negative, 1.0% – completely negative). At the same time, 48.7% of citizens are neutral, and 3.7% admitted that they do not know enough about this country.
“For Ukrainians, Bulgaria is not only an EU member state but also a significant economic partner. In the first half of 2025, the volume of bilateral trade amounted to more than $1.53 billion, of which Ukrainian exports amounted to $558.6 million and imports from Bulgaria amounted to almost $980 million. The negative balance of $421.5 million demonstrates an asymmetry in relations, but against the background of the total volume, it confirms the importance and sustainability of economic ties,” said Maxim Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
In his turn, Oleksandr Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, drew attention to the fact that the sociological picture shows a friendly but at the same time restrained attitude of Ukrainians.
“Almost half of the citizens have a neutral position on Bulgaria, and this is due to the relatively limited presence of this country in the public and information space of Ukraine. At the same time, positive assessments outnumber negative ones by almost ten to one, which indicates the existence of trust and good potential for further development of relations,” he added.
The survey was part of a broader study analyzing international sympathies and antipathies of Ukrainians in the current geopolitical environment.
The full video can be viewed here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgC9TPnMoMI&t
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ACTIVE GROUP, BULGARIA, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Poznyi, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, URAKIN
According to Chinese media reports, US President Donald Trump’s visit to China may take place in late October or early November. According to the South China Morning Post, the Chinese government sent Trump an invitation in early September, which usually means that preparations are already in the final stages. SCMP sources also claim that both sides are already working out the details of the trip: there are still “some minor issues” to be resolved, but the main obstacles have been removed.
It is believed that the visit may be timed to coincide with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which will be held in South Korea from October 31 to November 1.
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is an intergovernmental organization that has existed since 1967, designed to promote economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the countries of the region, as well as to strengthen regional stability and cooperation.
The members of ASEAN are: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
According to Serbian Economist, Chinese heavy vehicle manufacturer SHAC (Shanghai Huizhong Automotive Manufacturing) plans to build a plant in Novi Sad. This will be the company’s first European plant, and it is expected to open by the end of 2025.
The investment is estimated at around €40 million. The plant will be located in the CTPark Novi Sad East industrial zone and will produce chassis for European automotive giants, including BMW. Initially, around 200 jobs are planned, of which around 50% will be for highly qualified local specialists.
Serial deliveries to European markets are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
This project is part of efforts to attract foreign direct investment to the regions and increase industrial production in Serbia.
The official name of the investor is Shanghai Huizhong Automotive Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (SHAC). The company was founded in 1992 (although the company’s roots in automobile manufacturing date back to 1958, when the first truck of this type was assembled in China).
The company’s products include heavy trucks, buses, minibuses, chassis, components, and accessories for the automotive industry. The company has multiple production facilities in China (several factories), two R&D centers (one in Shanghai and a sub-center in Ningbo), and partnerships with major brands such as GM, Volkswagen, and others.
Japan’s exports in August decreased by 0.1% compared to the same month last year, according to the report of the country’s Ministry of Finance. The decline in exports was the fourth consecutive month of decline, but its pace was the weakest in the period. The volume of Japanese imports last month fell by 5.2% year-on-year.
Experts on average predicted a decrease in exports in August by 1.9% and a decrease in imports by 4.2%.
Japan’s trade deficit last month amounted to 242.5 billion yen ($1.66 billion) compared to 711.4 billion yen a year earlier. A deficit of 118.4 billion yen was recorded in July.
Exports to the U.S. fell 13.8% in August amid the imposition of U.S. duties on automobiles and microprocessors. Shipments to China fell by 0.5% and to ASEAN countries by 2.8%, while exports to the European Union rose by 5.5% and to Russia by 11.8%.
Imports from the US jumped by 11.6% and from China by 2.1%. At the same time, purchases of goods from South Korea fell 16.3%, from the EU 18.2%, from Russia 21.1%, from the Middle East 20.3%, and from ASEAN 4.6%.
Ukraine ranked 66th in the 2025 Global Innovation Index (GII) published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
According to the study, Ukraine remains in the group of “innovation overperformers,” demonstrating results above expectations for its level of economic development. It has maintained this status for 13 consecutive years, starting in 2012.
Switzerland has topped the global ranking for the 15th consecutive time. Sweden and the United States took second and third place. The top ten also included the Republic of Korea (4th place), Singapore (5th), Finland (7th), the Netherlands (8th), Denmark (9th), and China, which entered the top ten for the first time.
The GII methodology is based on an analysis of more than 78 indicators grouped into seven “pillars” — from human capital and research to business sophistication and creative outputs. The index is divided into two equal parts: “input resources for innovation” (institutions, education, infrastructure, market, and business) and “output results” (technological and creative products). According to the compilers of the ranking, the index is a key tool for governments and businesses: it allows them to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a country’s innovation system and to formulate long-term development strategies.
The total area of residential buildings for which construction permits were issued (new construction) in January-June 2025 increased by 45% compared to the same period in 2024, to 2 million 965.2 thousand square meters, according to the State Statistics Service (SSS).
According to the statistics agency, in January-June 2025, the total area of new construction of apartment buildings increased by 45.8% compared to last year, to 2.86 million square meters. The number of apartments in multi-apartment buildings declared at the start of construction increased by 51.5% and amounted to 33 thousand.
The largest number of new homes in the first half of the year was declared in the Kyiv region: the total area of new housing construction was 904,900 square meters (15,500 apartments), which is 2.3 times higher than in the first half of last year.
Significant volumes of new housing in the reporting period were also declared in the Lviv region – 540,700 square meters (6,900 apartments), which is 65% more than in the first half of 2024, as well as in Ivano-Frankivsk – 234,600 square meters (+8%, 3.8 thousand apartments), Zakarpattia region – 159.3 thousand square meters (+11%, 2.4 thousand apartments), Poltava region – 146.9 thousand square meters (1.8 thousand apartments), Vinnytsia – 130.9 thousand square meters (“minus” 38.7%, 2.9 thousand apartments) and Volyn – 115.2 thousand square meters (+17.7%, 2.5 thousand apartments).
In Kyiv, in January-June 2025, the total area of new construction of housing was 367.2 thousand square meters (4.2 thousand apartments), which is 1.9 times more than last year.
The State Statistics Service reminds that the figures do not include territories temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation and parts of territories where hostilities are ongoing (or have been ongoing).
As reported, the total area of new housing construction in Ukraine in 2024 decreased by 7.2% compared to 2023 – to 3.9 million square meters, while in 2023 it was 4.2 million square meters, in 2022 – 6.67 million square meters, and in 2021 – 12.7 million square meters.
