The Foundation for Local Government Reform invites the representatives of the Bulgarian local authorities and businesses to the Second Annual Conference "Municipalities and Business - Partners for Economic Development". The conference will be held on 18-19 February 2008 in Kempinski Hotel Zografski Sofia.

The Conference "Municipalities and Business - Partners for Economic Development" is an annual event that gives representatives of the public, private and non-governmental sectors to meet and discuss issues of common interest.

Topics this year are: Competitiveness of the Bulgarian municipalities in attracting investments; Bulgarian business and European Union; Latest tendencies in human resource development; Investment interest profile from EU, USA and Asia; Development of high-tech productions and innovations in Bulgaria; Sustainable development of protected areas.

The first plenary will be open by Mr. Jan Havelka, former executive director of CzechInvest, Czech Republic. Participants in the plenary sessions will be ministers; deputy minister; regional governors; mayors; deputy mayors; chairmen of municipal council; managers of leading companies; representatives of universities, business organizations; international and national experts on economic development.

In the first Annual Conference in 2006 more than 150 participants from Bulgaria, USA, Hungary, Korea, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Kosovo attended the forum.