The 9th annual meeting of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum with the diplomatic corps convened ambassadors of more than 30 countries, CEOs of more than 45 companies and government members
Bulgaria has a high potential for investment and innovation, it emerged at the annual meeting of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF) with foreign ambassadors, which was held for the ninth consecutive year today at InterContinental Sofia. The exclusive event traditionally brings together senior representatives of the responsible business community, the diplomatic corps and the executive branch. This year's meaningful discussion was mottoed Investment Destination: Bulgaria and focused on measures to attract, retain and support investors.
Speakers included 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. Each year the meeting is organised in cooperation with one diplomatic partner, this time it was the British Ambassador Nathaniel Copsey.
The high-profile event was attended by senior diplomats from more than 30 countries, as well as top executives from more than 45 BBLF member companies.
Anton Panayotov, BBLF’s new President, opened the event: „As a responsible business community, BBLF aims to provide opportunities for dialogue and for building relationships, sharing best practice and collaboration ideas. The event today is a unique platform for communication and exchange of views, experience and suggestions between the private sector, the executive and representatives of the diplomatic corps at a key moment: on the threshold of our accession to the euro area, which would send a strong positive signal to investors.“
BBLF Vice President Levon Hampartzoumian highlighted Bulgaria's potential to participate in the process of re-industrialisation, which would give an impetus to building a sustainable economy and a favourable social climate.
Maxim Behar, BBLF Board member and M3 Communications Group CEO, who moderated the discussion, pointed out that from its onset 27 years ago BBLF has sought to encourage and promote opportunities for development in Bulgaria.
Each year the event that convenes the business community and the diplomatic corps is held in cooperation with a diplomatic partner. This year our partner was the British Embassy in Sofia. In his speech, Ambassador Nathaniel Copsey highlighted a number of reasons to be optimistic: Bulgaria is the fastest growing economy in the last 10 years according to Eurostat, GDP growth, a balanced budget for years, low unemployment, inflation under control, etc., and pointed out the need for a transparent and predictable environment. The diplomat recalled BBLF was set up in 1998 in affiliation with King Charles III's International Business Leaders Forum during his visit to Sofia to promote high standards of good corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability – well ahead of the curve. We call on the BBLF and its members to continue to play an active role in advocating for a better business environment and to set the conditions for Bulgaria's ever greater future prosperity, Ambassador Copsey said.
Georgi Georgiev, Minister of Justice, reviewed the ministry's milestones in recent months: accession to the euro area, membership in the OECD, legislative changes under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, acceleration of the judicial reform, digitalisation of administrative procedures, removal of Bulgaria from the “grey” list for money laundering. „Creating predictability and legal certainty and modernising opportunities to attract more labour will make this country more attractive to investors. Investment, both foreign and Bulgarian, means more jobs,“ he said.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Pavlov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Doncho Barbalov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Investment Agency Mila Nenova joined the panel discussion.
In the animated Q&A session that followed foreign diplomats, business leaders and members of the government dwelled on specific steps to foster Bulgaria’s economic and social advance.
