Some 50 people attended, including 13 German company CEOs and business people. Vladimir Penkov, Vice President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Executive Managing Partner in Penkov, Markov & Partners presided over and moderated the meeting.

Reports were made by Bernd Ganter, Head of the Trade Representation of the German Embassy; Helge Tolksdrоf, Director at the German Ministry of Economics and Labour; Mitko Vassilev, CEO of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and representatives of the Ministry of Energy and the Economy and the Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

Particular attention was paid to the opportunities for developing the investment climate and for cooperation between Bulgarian small and medium-sized enterprises and German partners on projects including ones financed by the EU, as well as to Bulgaria’s preparedness for EU membership and the conclusions of the latest European Commission report on this country. A cooperation exchange between Bulgarian and German companies opened after the meeting.