Bulgarian Chamber honours contributors at anniversary ceremony
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) will mark its 130th anniversary with a formal event in Sofia on Wednesday evening, the BCCI press service said.
Companies, organizations and individuals that have contributed to the development of the Chamber and business in Bulgaria over the years will receive awards at the ceremony at the Sofia Balkan Palace hotel, CE Report quotes BTA.
Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), the successor to the Sofia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is one of the oldest economic institutions in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula, BCCI said.
The beginning was set in 1895 with the establishment of the first four chambers in the country, in the regional hubs Ruse (on the Danube), Sofia, Plovdiv (Southern Bulgaria) and Varna (on the Black Sea), which were later joined by Burgas (on the Black Sea). The first chair of the Chamber was prominent entrepreneur from the National Revival era Ivan Grozev. In 2019 BCCI acquired and turned his birthplace in the town of Karlovo into a museum, and in 2020, in partnership with Bulgarian National Television, it produced the documentary film Patriarch of Construction, which presents Grozev’s contribution to turning post-Liberation Bulgaria into a modern State with its own economic development.
BCCI’s work over the years has been directly linked to the country’s economic and social development, with a consistent drive to establish fair and ethical relations in business circles, the Chamber noted. Many patriotic Bulgarians contributed to raising the Chamber’s standing and, with strong public support, turned it into a unifying symbol of entrepreneurship.
Modern-day BCCI provides a wide range of services, from a trade register and consultancy to event organization and support in finding business partners, and it also works actively to maintain and improve Bulgaria’s international standing.
The Chamber enjoys strong international authority and, through its network and partnerships, helps Bulgarian businesses adapt to global and EU market conditions. It is part of the worldwide network of chambers of commerce and industry and a member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and its World Chambers Federation, EUROCHAMBRES, the European Economic and Social Committee, the BSEC Business Council, the International Organisation of Employers, the World Trade Centers Association, the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce and the Three Seas Initiative. On BCCI’s initiative, the Association of Balkan Chambers was founded in 1994 to strengthen regional business ties and promote trade liberalization in the Balkans.
To defend its members’ interests, BCCI participates in councils, committees, parliamentary groups and ministerial working groups at national and regional level, submitting positions on state strategies, plans and legislation. Marking its 130th anniversary, the Chamber reviewed its development against Bulgaria’s changing fortunes and reaffirmed its mission “to support, encourage, represent and protect the economic interests of its members, contributing to the development of international economic cooperation and assisting Bulgaria’s European and international integration.”
