The 77th International Technical Fair will convene today in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv to highlight new advanced technological equipment. Photo: International Technical Fair

The 77th International Technical Fair will convene today in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv.

The International Technical Fair stands as one of the largest tech events in Southeast Europe. During the four-day fair, companies—mainly in the technological sector— will have the chance to market products such as advanced equipments and machineries to a wide range of potential buyers. This year’s fair is controversial as private Belarusian companies are permitted to open up stands. This decision immediately drew criticism due to the Belarusian government’s pro-Russian stance in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The organization’s decision to welcome Belarusian companies could be viewed as a major step towards re-admitting Belarusian private businesses back into Europe following Belarus’ heavy marginalization due to its close political relations with Moscow. In this framework, despite talks of tightening restrictions against Minsk—due to its treatment of political prisoners—expect this move to follow suit in other European-held or even EU-sponsored events during the short-to medium-term especially in areas concerning IT and pharmaceuticals. However, while these minor gestures will allow Belarus’ private companies to thrive from momentary access to European markets, the European attitude against Belarus will likely remain cold moving forward.