“Bulgaria 1996” A Breakthrough Year?”
BAS Hold Conference on US-Bulgaria relations

On April 17, 1996, the Bulgarian-American Society convened over 100 Bulgarians and 
Americans representing business, government, and non-governmental organizations for a 
frank discussion of Bulgaria’s options seven years after the onset of reforms there.  The 
participants had widely varying backgounds and equally different opinions about Bulgari’s 
reform management, but they all had one in common - a sincere interest in that country’s 
progress on the path of democratization and market reforms.

Among those in attendance were four former U.S. Ambassadors to Bulgaria - Hon. 
William Montgomery, Hon. Sol Plansky, Hon. Hugh Kenneth Hill, and Hon. Robert L. 
Barry.  Bulgaria;’s Ambassador to the U.S., H.E. Snezhana Botusharova was alos present 
and,along with Amb. Montgomery, took part in the panel discussions.  Major U.S. 
corporations doing biness in Bulgaria - IBM, the Coca-Cola Company, KPMG, the Dow 
Chemical Company, and Gallup among others - also sent representatives or sponsored the 
cpnference.  High-ranking officials from USAID, the Support for Eastern European 
Democracy program (SEED), the office of the United States Trade Representatives, the 
Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund, the World Bank and the IMF attended as well and 
took an active part in the seminars and discussions.

The key-note speech was delivered during the luncheon preceding the conference by Rep. 
Lee Hamilton, former Chairman and ranking Democrat in the House International 
Relations Committee.  Following opening remarks by Society Chairman Tom Gibson, 
Rep. Hamilton made asuccinct and very well argumented presentation of Bulgaria’s most 
notable achievements in the reform process and the steps that still need to be atken.  His 
remarks anded on a cautiously optimistic note regarding Bulgaria’s prospects of turning 
1996 into a year of scoial and economic breakthrough.

The main event of the conference were two seminars - the first providing an overview of 
conditions in Bulgaria, and the second focusing specifically on doing business there and 
the current issues, obstacles, and prospectives.  Although all panelists agreed that much 
remains to be done to create an environemtn accomodating to business, big corporations 
are determind to stay.  Mr. Richard Lehmann of IBM stressed his company’s successes 
working in Bulgaria and their plans to increase their investments and scope of operations 
there.  In another notable presentation, Mr. Mark van den Boogard of the World Bank, 
pointed out that while Bulgaria is far from the level of progress of countries like the Czech 
Republic, its near future prospects are very good.  He also noted that the impedimets 
affecting reforms in Bulgaria include external factors, such as the persistent protectioninsm 
of western markets.

Both seminars were followed by very lievly discussions and plenty of conflicting positions 
were expressed.  in the end, these seemed to be a cpnsensu taking shape - 1996 looks 
hopeful for Bulgaria, but - it’s too early to tell.