As a European Union and a Nato member state, Bulgaria is a reliable and stable partner of the USA in South Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region, Bulgarian Prime Minister said in his welcoming speech to participants in the Bulgarian investment forum at Harvard club in New York, held on June 16 2008, the press service of the Government said in a statement.
Stanishev defined Bulgarian-US co-operation as a strategic one and voiced his hope US investments in Bulgaria would grow.
The Bulgarian Prime Minister left Bulgaria on June 14 to go on an official visit to the USA that will last until June 18.
“The public sector reforms and the efforts of the government to improve the business climate in the country will continue,” Stanishev said at the forum. According to him, sustaining high economic growth and the good business climate require a lot of work from all institutions and the Government will do what is necessary to preserve the good business environment in Bulgaria.
“Our state is one of the several EU members sustaining a considerable budget surplus (of 3.1 per cent), which guarantees stability and security for investments,” Stanishev added. “What we have achieved is impressive, but our work has to continue, including alleviating the administrative obstacles facing business.”
Stanishev called upon American business to invest in the modernisation of the Bulgarian infrastructure, the energy sector and hi-technology manufacturing. “We have the ambition to turn Bulgaria into a success not only in the framework of the region, but in the EU as well and you all have a chance to become part of Bulgaria's successful history,” Stanishev told the forum’s participants.
The forum at Harvard club gathered more than 150 representatives of American business and was opened by Bulgaria's ambassador to the USA, Elena Poptodorova, the Government's press service said. Bulgarian Foreign Minster Ivailo Kalfin outlined the economic prospects facing Bulgaria and the states from South Eastern Europe, while Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov introduced participants to investment conditions in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Defence Minister Nikolai Tsonev, for his part, outlined the opportunities before the business community in the field of military economic co-operation.
Later on June 16 Stanishev met the executive director of the American Jewish Committee David Harris, who promised his committee would lobby for an early lifting of the visas for Bulgarian nationals travelling to the USA. Harris defined the visa barrier as an obstacle to direct human contact. Stanishev told Harris the Interim agreement under the programme for visa-free travel to the USA, due to be signed on June 17, was a big step in Bulgaria meeting requirements for visa-free travel.
During the meeting it was announced that the American Jewish Committee would make a documentary on the salvation of Bulgarian Jews during World War Two. “This historical deed is an impressive act of Bulgaria's civil society at that time and under the former regime,” Stanishev commented.
Bulgaria's model of inter-cultural coexistence and ethnic tolerance and the new policy of the Bulgarian Government towards Bulgarians living abroad were among other topics of conversation between Stanishev and Harris. The Prime Minister thanked Harris for the support the Committee had given to a number of Bulgarian causes and especially for the freeing of the Bulgarian nurses in Libya.
On their way to Washington, on June 16 Stanishev and his accompanying delegation visited Philadelphia, where they met Bulgaria's honorary consul to Philadelphia, Stephen McEwen.
Stanishev's programme for June 17 includes delivering a public lecture on the sustainable role of the Balkans and the Black Sea region in the system of transatlantic security at the Woodrow Wilson international centre in Washington, as well as meeting with US secretary of homeland security Michael Chertoff, secretary of defence Robert Gates, secretary of energy Samuel Bodman and deputy secretary of commerce John Sullivan.
