The ninth annual meeting of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum with the diplomatic corps attracted ambassadors of more than 30 countries, managers of more than 45 companies and members of the government. Each year, the meeting is organized jointly with a diplomatic partner, this time it was the British Ambassador, H.E. Nathaniel Copsey.
Bulgaria as an investment destination
Bulgaria has a huge potential for investment and innovation. This became clear during the Annual Meeting of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF) with foreign ambassadors. It was held for the ninth consecutive year today at the InterContinental Hotel. The exclusive event traditionally brought together high-ranking representatives of the responsible business community, the diplomatic corps and the executive branch, with this year’s motto being “Bulgaria as an investment destination”, and the focus was on measures to attract, retain and support investors.
Official guests to the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum
Official guests were Minister of Justice Georgi Georgiev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Pavlov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Doncho Barbalov and Executive Director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency Mila Nenova.
The high-level event was attended by senior diplomats from more than 30 countries. The event also attracted top managers of more than 45 leading companies that are members and partners of BBFL.
The new Chairman of BBFL, Anton Panayotov, said at the opening: “As a community of responsible business, BBFL strives to provide opportunities for dialogue and for sharing contacts, experience and ideas for future cooperation. Our meeting today is a unique platform for communication and exchange of opinions, experience and recommendations between the private sector, the executive branch and representatives of the diplomatic corps, and at an important moment for the country – on the threshold of our accession to the eurozone, which would send a strong positive signal to investors.”
Important insights from the meeting
Levon Hampartzumyan, Vice-Chairman of the Forum, emphasized Bulgaria’s potential to participate in the reindustrialization process, which would provide an incentive for building a sustainable economy and a favorable social climate.
Maxim Behar, member of the BBLF Board of Directors and CEO of M3 Communications Group, who also moderated the discussion, pointed out that the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum has been aiming to encourage and promote opportunities for development and life in Bulgaria for 26 years.
The annual business meeting with foreign ambassadors is an event that the Forum traditionally organizes in cooperation with a diplomatic partner. This year it was the British Embassy in Sofia. In his speech, Ambassador Nathaniel Copsey emphasized the many reasons for optimism – Bulgaria is the fastest growing economy in the last 10 years according to Eurostat, growth in gross domestic product, a balanced budget for years, low unemployment, controlled inflation, etc., and also pointed out the need for a transparent and stable business environment. “We call on BBLF and its members to continue to be active in their efforts to improve the conditions for doing business, which is a guarantee of prosperity today and in the future.”
Steps for the successful development of the Bulgarian economy and society
Georgi Georgiev, Minister of Justice, reviewed the ministry’s efforts in recent months – joining the eurozone, joining the OECD, adopting the relevant changes in the legislation to continue payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, accelerating judicial reform, digitalizing administrative procedures, and removing Bulgaria from the “grey” list for money laundering. “Creating predictability and legal certainty and modernizing the opportunities to attract more labor will make the country more attractive to investors. Investments – both foreign and Bulgarian – mean the creation of more jobs,” he emphasized.
Nikolay Pavlov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Doncho Barbalov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry, and Mila Nenova, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency, also actively participated in the discussion.
In the lively question-and-answer session that followed, the diplomatic corps and business leaders discussed in detail the practical steps needed for the successful development of the Bulgarian economy and society.