TRANSPORT corridors and cross-border co-operation will top the agenda of the spring Bulgarian Investment Forum (BIF) meeting to be held on April 5 and April 6 in Plovdiv.
Although this is the first time the forum will be held outside the capital Sofia, it will still retain its significance for the entire country and the region, said the organisers, the Bulgaria Economic Forum (BEF).
The event is expected to be attended by representatives of the cities of Istanbul, Edirne (Turkey), Thessaloniki, Komotini, Kastoria (Greece), Kumanovo (Macedonia), Nis (Serbia), and Craiova (Romania).
Mayors and business people from the South Central Economic Region, where Plovdiv is situated, will discuss further investment projects and successful business practices, accelerated economic development zones, legislative changes required to improve the business climate in Bulgaria, the challenges facing the labour market in the region, and projects to develop tourism in the area.
In an interview with The Sofia Echo on March 28, BEF chairman Georgi Tabakov identified tourism, the food industry, agriculture and agribusiness as the most important sectors of the region's economy.
Tabakov said that one of the most important problems to be solved is the lack of adequately trained personnel for local companies.
BEF chose to hold the forum in the region of Plovdiv because it is one of the most developed parts of Bulgaria in terms of industry and agriculture.
However, there are many underdeveloped areas and municipalities there, and the forum could serve as a mediator, enabling them to receive know-how and find funding for projects to develop tourism and other activities, Tabakov said.
He said that the South Central Region was, for several reasons, very attractive to investors and economic experts. It is a cross-point of several European transport corridors. The fact that most international roads pass through this region to reach Turkey and Greece is among the reasons for many representatives of Turkish and Greek local authorities and businesses to have decided to take part in the forum.
Turkish businesses have a significant presence in the area, and with Bulgaria's forthcoming accession to the European Union, their interest towards the region is certain to grow. The region's transport infrastructure, currently being further developed, the enlargement of the Greek port of Alexandroupolis (which is set to become a terminal for Bulgarian exports to the region of the Mediterranean) and the opening of new border checkpoints between Bulgaria and Greece, are among priority matters to be discussed during the event.
The region has already proven its attractiveness, as it has seen and will see from now on, large investment projects from world leaders in different industries, such as Socotab, Liebherr and Enel. This is the region where the largest lignite coal and thermal power plant complex in the Balkans, Maritsa Iztok, is situated. Maritsa Iztok is certain to top the discussions in several round tables during the forum that are to focus on the energy market in South-Eastern Europe.
Tabakov sees the weak representation of companies from the agricultural sector as a setback in the South Central region's development.
Because of large-scale sub-division of land, which has led to there being a large number of owners of small plots of land, major agricultural producers have yet to appear, not only around Plovdiv but throughout Bulgaria, he said.
Notwithstanding this, the event will see participation of companies from the food manufacturing sector, which is closely tied to agriculture.
A further challenge for the organisers and for economic experts is the existence of many underdeveloped municipalities, especially in the region of Kudrjali and the Rhodope Mountains. Many towns and villages in this region are mainly dependent on a small range of agricultural produce, such as tobacco or potatoes. Considering the future of Bulgaria and its EU membership, this base will not be sufficient for them to develop.
The future of these underdeveloped regions is mainly in tourism, making an emphasis in this direction essential. The towns and villages of the Rhodope Mountains have the largest concentration of cultural and historical monuments in Bulgaria. If the required proper infrastructure is built to serve them, they could attract an enormous number of tourists and become the next point of interest after this country's seaside and ski resorts, Tabakov said.
The BIF in Plovdiv, entitled "Regional Investment Projects - The European Way. Perspectives 2007" will be officially opened on April 5 by Economy Minister Milko Kovachev. Participants include Finance Minister Milen Velchev, Plovdiv mayor Ivan Chomakov, and the mayors of Smolyan and Kurdjali, Dora Yankova and Hassan Azis.
LUKoil Bulgaria chairman and director general Valentin Zlatev, HVB Bank Biochim executive director Peter Harold, United Bulgarian Bank chief Christos Katsanis, and Plovdiv International Fair director Yordan Radev, will top the list of major business representatives at the event.
Foreign participation will include Macedonia's deputy economy minister Sasha Andonovski, as well as Macedonia's transport and communications minister Xhemali Mehazi, MarcAnthony Chesner from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and representatives of the rating agencies Moody's, Standard&Poor's and Fitch.
BEF organisers told The Echo that registrations for the forum would be accepted until the actual start of the event. More information on registration, along with an application form, and full details of the forum's agenda, can be found on the web sites www.biforum.org and www.investdb.net.
Snapshot of the South Central Region

The Southern Central Region spreads over 27 516 sq km and is the largest economic area in Bulgaria. The regional GDP for 2003 was over 3.5 billion euro. The Plovdiv region alone concentrates a seventh of the arable land and 14 per cent of the labour resources of this country. It produces 11 per cent of the industrial output and creates 13 per cent of Bulgaria's GDP. The accelerated economic growth in recent years contributes to the dynamic expansion of the real estate market in the Southern Central Region. The swift increase in the construction of new high quality real estate, as well as the growing demand, offer excellent opportunities of investment and profit for Bulgarian and foreign entrepreneurs.
The traditionally strong tourism sector in the Southern Central Region offers a great number of investment opportunities for development of rural tourism and spa tourism, and construction of new skiing centres and resorts, as well as improvement of the already existing ones like Pamporovo. An additional advantage is the strategic location of the region on the Silk Road between Europe and Asia that makes it an important centre for regional trade.