Walking past a long line of wall-hung photos of former German ambassadors to Bulgaria to the doorstep of the incumbent, I could not help wondering what legacy his tenure would leave. I did not have to wonder long. Michael Geier arrived in July 2006, in the run-up to an historic moment for Bulgaria, the country's accession to the European Union and, coincidentally or not, in the heat of Germany's preparations for EU presidency. Geier was an active participant in both momentous events, heading an embassy that, as he said in an interview with The Sofia Echo, had been "busier than in the past 20 years taken together".

"When I went to Berlin to receive instructions about my work in Sofia, I was told that in January-June 2008 Bulgaria would occupy the EU's political limelight," he said. "So it was. The entire German political elite except the German chancellor paid a visit to Bulgaria."

Geier views this heightened bilateral interest not only as the logical special attention of a president toward a newcomer. Bulgaria's EU entry was a breakthrough achievement for one of Germany's long-term foreign policy goals.

"Opening the European Union to the East has been one of the main priorities of German politics," the ambassador said. "We always felt that the EU without Bulgaria would be incomplete. The speech of [German Federal foreign minister Frank-Walter] Steinmeier on the occasion of the ratification of Bulgaria's EU accession in the German Bundestag made this very clear."

Now that the political hue-and-cry has subsided, the work of the embassy in promoting German interest politically and economically has been restored to normal.

"German interest is not only about economic co-operation here but also a continual effort to accompany Bulgaria on its way to Europe," Geier said. Another, and related, priority is "intensive dialogue over issues of common concern, especially in the context of EU politics".

Common concern has translated into co-operation under the Black Sea Synergy, a regional cooperation initiative launched during Germany's EU presidency, and in development programmes for the Western Balkans. In these areas "Germany has high political stakes and is dependent on Bulgaria to a high degree".

"The Black Sea, an economic hub since ancient Greek times, has fallen into oblivion for such a long time that it should get another push," Geier said.

"It is the point collecting all information about major movements, singling out who `the bad guys' are and what they are up to," Geier said.

Economic-wise, the initiative presently boils down to upgrading the infrastructure, its most significant element being the Black Sea ring road project and the railway.

A different, yet no less important, aspect of Geier's work is brokering ties between German federal states and Bulgaria. The German ambassador receives on average two state delegations a month. "Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg consider Bulgaria their favourite. Yet others, such as Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxonia, take an interest too, although to a lesser degree," Geier said.

Fresh testimony to this is the forthcoming festivities for Germany's National Day October 3. Geier and Bavarian economy minister Emilia Muller will be co-hosting an all-Bavarian reception where guests will enjoy a menu featuring a Bavarian delicatessen amid displays by Bavarian artisans.

Bavarian businesses will also attend on September 30 a co-operation bourse in the sidelines of the International Technical Fair in Plovdiv in yet another attempt to form ties with Bulgarian counterparts.

The bourse is yet another proof of Germany's gradual discovery of Bulgaria as "an interesting and attractive destination for investments". Geier admits discovery of Bulgaria has come rather late. As reasons he pointed out Germany's inward political and economic focus on its eastern states in the years after reunification, subsequent interest in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia as countries that are physically close. Last but not least there was a 40-year interruption in West German investment. "So the real big wave of investment is relatively recent," Geier said. And it is generally the sum total of efforts of small and medium-sized businesses.

"There are big investors like Metro, Kaufland, Liebherr or the Rousse Shipyard and naturally Rollmann, whose apparel factory in Gotse Delchev has 2000 women on the payroll, but the more typical German investors are SMEs," Geier said.

Presently, more than 1000 German companies are active in Bulgaria. About 100 run production facilities and their number is expanding rapidly with invitations for groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies arriving in Geier's mailbox every week.

The ambassador cited the latest survey of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, which saw most of its respondents, German investors, planning to invest more and open new jobs this year.

"I keep reminding the Bulgarian Government, in its all-consuming rush to attract new investors, not to forget existing investors because they are expanding," Geier said.

Building on existing bilateral achievements in an effort to promote German interest is Geier's main goal. With a rapidly expanding bilateral visits roster and the ongoing add-on of new joint projects and initiatives, it looks like a mission possible.