The diplomatic event of the year

The first meeting of the board of the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) in Bulgaria, organized by the Association of the Honorary Consuls in Bulgaria (AHCB) with the support of M3 Communications Group, Inc. took place in Sofia this week. The event was attended by almost 100 honorary consuls, diplomats, ministers, and other representatives from the business and political circles from all over the world.

This is one of the most major projects of its kind that has occurred in Bulgaria. The first day of the conference included FICAC Board Meeting, a special meeting with HRH Simeon II and a Gala Dinner for FICAC and AHCB members. The culmination of the forum was the second day with the FICAC Central and Eastern Europe Meeting, where prominent politicians and business leaders talked about the political situation, the business opportunities and the future of the region. The main topic was the importance of the good relationships between the countries and the role of the honorary consuls.

Among the special guests and the keynote speakers were:

• H.E. Aykut Eken– President of FICAC, Honorary Consul General of Jamaica in Turkey;

• Mr. Tomislav Donchev – Deputy Prime Minister of Republic of Bulgaria;
• H.E. Borislav Boyanov – President of AHCB, Honorary Consul General of Malta;
• Mr.Rosen Jeliazkov - Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications of Bulgaria;
• H.E. Nikolay Vassilev, Deputy Prime Minister of Economy (2001-2003) and Minister of Transport and Communications (2003-2005), Honorary Consul of Slovenia, Managing Partner and Executive Director ExpatCapital;
• Mr. Levon Hampartzumyan, former CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, Unicredit Bulbank;
• H.E. Maxim Behar, Honorary Consul General of Seychelles, VP and Spokesperson of the Bulgarian Association, Chairman of PR & Media Committee of FICAC;
• H.E. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, FICAC Secretary-General, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Greece
• Mr. Stamen Yanev, Executive Director of InvestBulgaria Agency.

M3 Communications Group, Inc. organized many additional activities to keep the participants entertained such as a complimentary tour of Sofia, wine tasting, tour to Asian cultural exhibition in Sofia Central Park, a one-day trip to the city of Plovdiv.

The event was widely covered by the media and a huge success for all involved in the organization.