U.S. Water and Energy Sector Giants Seek Bulgarian Partners

Eight of the largest U.S. water and energy sector companies held a total of 50 meetings with potential Bulgarian partners at the Bulgaria Water Sector Opportunities seminar, organized by the U.S. Commercial Service in Bulgaria, the EcoLinks Programme, and the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum.

The seminar welcomed managers from GE Infrastructure Water & Process Technologies, Quest Management International, Emerging Markets Group, Washington Group International, HACH Lange, EcoLinks, Fitch Ratings and Ceratox as its guests. They met the top managers of Bulgarian companies such as Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, Kremikovtzi, Peshtera Winery, Sviloza Svishtov, and many more.

The U.S. companies are interested in finding partners, clients or representatives in Bulgaria. Most of them offer equipment for environmentally-safe production or for monitoring, new technology, as well as know-how. Some of these companies have already developed projects in Romania and are now turning to Bulgaria.

"We are very pleased to have this opportunity to highlight U.S. environmental technologies, especially the solutions for water management provided by the seven delegation companies," Mr. James Rigassio, Commercial Attache with the U.S. Commercial Service in Bulgaria said. "U.S. water management technologies, combined with trade and project finance programs offered by the U.S. government, will help Bulgaria comply with new EU environmental standards," he added.

This was also the first industry-related event in which the new Deputy Ministers of Environment and Waters and of Regional Development and Public Works, Yordan Dardov and Dimcho Mihalevski, took part.

The two Deputy Ministers, together with the directors Assen Lichev and Plamen Nikiforov, had their first opportunity to present the new Cabinet's policy on EU standards for environmentally-safe management and production, infrastructure and privatisation in the water management sector.

The World Bank, the U.S. Commercial Service in Bulgaria, and the Enterprise for Management of Environmental Protection Activities with the Ministry of Environment and Waters also presented various opportunities for financing water and environment sector projects.

Following their meetings in Bulgaria, the U.S. managers left for Romania, where the second part of the conference was going to be held.