Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Presents Awards to Celebrate Its 130th Anniversary

Ivona Velichkova

Family photo of the winners of the special awards that the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry presented to celebrate its 130th anniversary, Sofia, December 3, 2025 (BTA Photo/Milena Stoykova)

Sofia,

03.12.2025 23:19

(BTA)

The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) celebrated the 130th anniversary of its founding with a festive ceremony in Sofia, where it presented awards to the oldest companies still operating in Bulgaria, as well as to a regional chamber, an industry organization, individuals who have contributed to business development in Bulgaria and to the Chamber’s work, and media outlets that have actively covered BCCI’s positions over the past ten years.

The BCCI is one of the oldest economic organizations in Bulgaria and in the Balkans.

More than 200 guests attended the event, including Bulgarian President Rumen Radev; Prince Boris Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, grandson of Bulgaria's last serving monarch Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; ambassadors and diplomats accredited in Bulgaria; industry organizations; regional chambers of commerce and industry; BCCI members; and partners of the Chamber from Bulgaria and abroad.

BTA was a media partner of the event.

Four companies received a bronze Hermes statuette accompanied by a certificate in the category of companies with a long history and lasting presence in Bulgaria’s economy:

Express Service Ltd. – successor to the workshop that serviced locomotives on Bulgaria’s first railway line, Ruse - Varna, founded in 1866; successor to the Vasil Kolarov Locomotive and Wagon Repair Plant.
Arsenal AD – direct successor to Bulgaria’s first weapons factory, the Ruse Artillery Arsenal, founded in 1878.
LB Bulgaricum EAD – successor to the Bulgarian Milk dairy enterprise established in 1893 and to the state-owned Dairy Industry Association.
Mondelez Production Bulgaria Ltd. – successor to Bulgaria’s first industrial chocolate factory, founded in 1924.

The BCCI honored the historical figure of Tsar Ferdinand I with an honorary diploma. As Prince of the Bulgarians, he issued Decree 133 of December 20, 1894, which approved the Commercial and Industrial Chambers in Bulgaria Act, establishing the chamber system in the Principality of Bulgaria. The award was accepted by Prince Boris Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

In the individuals category, one award went to one of the most notable figures in the modern history of the BCCI – Bozhidar Bozhinov. His career at the Chamber spans more than three decades, during which he held key leadership positions: legal adviser, Director of the Patents and Trademarks Department, BCCI Deputy Chairman (from 1985), and BCCI Chairman (from 1993 to 2009). His leadership coincided with some of the most dynamic years for the Bulgarian economy and the Chamber’s establishment as a nationally and internationally recognized institutional partner, the organizers said.

An honorary diploma was presented to Hristo Grigorov, member of the Bulgarian Red Cross and member of BCCI’s Managing Board. A long-standing Chair of the Chamber’s General Assembly, he has taken active positions on issues related to the organization’s work and has contributed significantly to achieving its goals.

Another honorary diploma went to Konstantin Glavanakov. He has been involved with BCCI since 1984 in various leadership roles. As Deputy Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Bulgarian Ambassador to Japan, Glavanakov helped establish the BCCI as a leading institution working for the development and strengthening of Bulgaria’s foreign trade relations.

Philippe Beke, a Belgian historian, economist, lawyer, long-time diplomat, and Honorary Ambassador of Belgium to Bulgaria, received an honorary diploma for his work in promoting bilateral economic and cultural relations and for supporting Bulgaria’s EU integration during his term (December 2003 – September 2008).

Emmanuel Vlachoyannis, a prominent economist, entrepreneur, and long-time leader in the commercial and industrial sectors of Greece, and honorary chairman of the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also received an award for his decades-long contribution to the development of Bulgarian-Greek trade relations.

The International Organization of Employers (IOE) received the award in the category “Long-standing BCCI Partner.”

In the category “Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” the Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry was honored for its significant business activities over the past ten years.

In the “Industry Organization” category, the National Bread and Confectionery Association received an award.

In the “Media” category, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) and the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) were honored for their objective coverage of BCCI positions and their members on current economic issues over the past ten years.

The award on behalf of BTA was accepted by Director General Kiril Valchev, and Daniel Spasov, member of BNR’s Management Board, accepted the award on behalf of the National Radio.

Valchev noted that this is one of the rare occasions when he cannot present a copy of a news item from BTA’s archive about the founding of a Bulgarian institution, because BTA is 127 years old while BCCI is 130.

"But we share much with the BCCI: our presence across the country - BTA has bureaus in 33 cities; our leadership role in the Balkans: BTA is the seat of the Association of Balkan News Agencies; and our efforts to support the Bulgarian econom: BTA does this through a specialized news service that reports on Bulgarian companies by name," Valchev said.

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