02.09.2013

Minister of Finance Petar Chobanov will participate in the meeting of the Advisory Board of the Center of Excellence in Finance (CEF) within the 8^th Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia. The Forum is held in the period 1-3 September and is a successful platform for high-level strategic dialogue among leaders from the private and public sectors on key issues facing Europe and the world. This year Forum will be opened by the main conference under the title \"A Changing Europe in a Changing World\". The agenda includes also panels on the prospects for the EU Economic and Monetary Union, the economic perspectives of Russia and Central Asia, EU-Turkey relations and EU enlargement policy towards the countries of the Western Balkans region.

Minister Chobanov will also attend the ceremony on the signature of an Agreement for transforming the Center of Excellence in Finance into an international non-profit organization which will considerably enhance the possibilities for donor financing and for appointing international experts to work for the organization. The Center is a specialized regional institution for management capacity building through training in public financial management and central banking in South Eastern Europe. It was established by the Slovenian Government in 2001 in the context of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe on the initiative of the Slovenian Ministry of Finance and in close cooperation with the ministries of finance in the region. Republic of Bulgaria is a member of the Governing Board of the Organization where the other CEF Member States are also represented by their ministers of finance and central bank governors. As a result of the CEF transformation and in its capacity of a Member State Bulgaria will have the opportunity to participate in the setting and coordination of regional initiatives in the field of public financial management corresponding to the interests and priorities of the country, and to cooperate more closely bilaterally and multilaterally with the other Member States.