Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov said that the best time for investment in Bulgaria's capital was before the country's EU accession in 2007, when prices were expected to rise.

Borissov discussed the issue during the first part of Emerging Markets Property Exhibition (EMPEX) international conference in London, 24 Chassa newspaper reported.

The forum aims at advertising real estate markets in Central and Eastern Europe. Over 120 companies, including seven Bulgarian, participated in the exhibition. The conference featured over 600 participants from 16 countries.

Borissov listed 10 reasons why foreign companies should choose Sofia as their investment destination. Political stability, the city's strategic geographical location and the population's high education level were among the advantages included in Borissov's speech, 24 Chassa said.

The inexpensive labour force and the highly qualified workers added to investors' chances for investment return, Borissov said. Bulgarians worked in all international companies as the country focused on developing science and imposing high educational standards, he added.

Over the past few years Sofia attracted considerable investment because of its developing infrastructure, Borissov said. British-owned property in Bulgaria's capital exceeded 10 000 real estates, he added.