November 18, 2009
Posted by:
Shana Marbury
Greetings from Sofia, Bulgaria!
The Greater Cleveland Partnership has just finished productive meetings in Sofia, Bulgaria, as part of an economic development mission that included Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, representatives of Team NEO and the Northeast Ohio Trade and Economic Consortium (NEOTEC). The trip was planned with the cooperation of the SME Union, an European association of small and medium-sized businesses whose U.S. office is housed at the GCP, and the U.S. Commercial Service.
We were welcomed to Bulgaria by Nadezhda Mihailova, vice president of the SME Union and Member of the European Parliament, who was a guest speaker at the GCP’s annual meeting in March. “Nadia” provided us the opportunity to meet with various ministers in the Bulgarian government, providing access and opportunity for the delegation to directly connect with the political leadership of Bulgaria. Additionally, we met with the acting mayor of Sofia (a new Mayor was elected on Nov. 15 – the first female mayor in the history of Sofia – who will be taking office soon) who was excited about the potential for Northeast Ohio investment in Bulgaria. There appear to be great investment and exchange opportunities in the sectors of healthcare and advanced energy.
During our visit, the delegation met with several ministers and government officials. The GCP also was extremely pleased to meet with officials from the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCCI), the American Chamber of Commerce Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum, the Bulgarian Industrial Association, and the Bulgarian Confederation of Employers and Industrialists, and many, many representatives of individual Bulgarian businesses.
There are definite opportunities for partnership between the GCP and these organizations and our respective memberships. The GCP and the BCCI have taken the first step in what we hope will be a long and productive relationship by signing an agreement of cooperation between the two chambers. This agreement offers a framework to guide our new relationship. Our goal is two-part: (1) in conjunction with the City of Cleveland and Team NEO, the GCP wants to assist Bulgarian companies that wish to expand or establish operations in the City of Cleveland and the broader Cleveland Plus region; and (2) help our members here in Northeast Ohio who would like to do business in Bulgaria.
The hospitality and openness of the people of Bulgaria has been very encouraging. As the GCP strives to strengthen the global connections of our members and our region, we look to Bulgaria as a first stop on a worldwide journey.
Category:
Global Connections
Tags:
global connections,
international business,
Bulgaria,
SME Union,
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce,
Cleveland Ohio,
Greater Cleveland Partnership,
Team NEO,
City of Cleveland