Discovering and Sharing: Bansko Hotel Hermes Is Located in Bansko at the Foot of Pirin Mountain
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ISSUE 07/FREE The official magazine of Radio Bulgaria Bulgaria in Top 10 of outsourcing destinations Julia Kristeva: Europe is undergoing a crisis and reappraisal of democratic values 15th International Competition for Young Singers Boris Christoff closes Discovering anD sharing: Bansko Hotel Hermes is located in Bansko at the foot of Pirin Mountain The hotel is luxuriously furnished type 4 stars , has a gym ,sauna, spa The hotel is open year round Preferred for business conferences and seminars Glazne Quarters,, 5 Belejkov Str., 2770 Bansko,Bulgaria +359 882 85 32 72 Mail : [email protected] http://hotelhermes.eu Chobanov han tavern - Bansko +359 886 024 462 Adress: 1 Tsar Simeon Str. 2770 Bansko,Bulgaria ”Our Beautiful Bulgaria” is a non-governmental organization engaged in various activities to the benefit of society and the state. It is a large-scale project for restoring and preserving Bulgaria's tangible and intangible cultural heritage as well as developing diverse forms of tourism. ZOOM/content President Plevneliev: 4 Peace and security Discovering and sharing: 14 do not come free Bansko Bulgaria in the Top 5 10 of outsourcing Mihalkovo - the home of destinations naturally aerated Mineral 22 water springs After the elections - is a stable government 6 15th International possible? 28 Competition for Young Singers Boris Christoff closes Julia Kristeva: Europe is 8 undergoing a crisis and reappraisal of democratic values Environment: Of birds, 10 bats, chocolate and tequila Publisher: Radio Bulgaria/ website: bnr.bg/radiobulgaria email: [email protected], tel: 00359 2 9336 661 Advertising: [email protected], tel: 00359 2 9336 633 Vlahi village – a step 12 towards sustainable Photos: BGNES, BTA, BNR, Infotourism.net, Veneta Nikolova living in the wild Design/ prepress: Dimitar Petrin Issue 07/ ZOOM Bulgaria magazine 3 ZOOM/news President Plevneliev: Peace and security do not come free by Iliana Raicheva Peace and security are not free, they threats and risks, NATO allies must “The main objective of the centre is to have a price that we must be willing be prepared to counter effectively the support development in this direction. to pay in order to guarantee them, new “hybrid” type of actions aimed The development of Bulgaria in this said Bulgarian President and Supreme at destabilization and confrontation. particular area is related to our desire Commander of the Armed Forces Rosen President Plevneliev says that only the to build a bridge of cooperation to the Plevneliev in his speech at the opening collective security and defense system of EU. Crisis management is a shared in Sofia of NATO’s Crisis Management NATO can guarantee independence, the responsibility in the region and across and Disaster Response Centre of protection of human rights, democracy Europe. Past experience, including the Excellence - CMDR COE. This is the and the rule of law. portfolio of Bulgarian EU Commissioner first NATO structure on Bulgarian “The Smart Defense, Connected Kristalina Georgieva, allows this center territory and is part of the network of Forces, and Framework Nations to become a viable tool for improving competence centers of the Alliance. initiatives enable member states to cooperation between NATO and the The center is a result of joint efforts of contribute to collective security through EU,” Minister Velizar Shalamanov said. Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and the Allied specialization and cooperation. I hope According to him, it was necessary Command Transformation in Norfolk, Bulgaria will be more active in the to raise the number of countries Virginia, USA. implementation of joint projects, as well participating in the centre. “No country, no matter how big and as in the establishment of joint defense The center will be collecting data and strong it may be, is self-sufficient,” capabilities with the armed forces of analyzing various crisis situations. the President said. “No country could our neighbours and partners. Bulgaria The aim is through sharing Bulgarian ensure its security alone and this fully is a leading nation in the establishment experience with that of NATO allies applies to Bulgaria. We are always weak of this centre and this shows our to improve the quality of crisis when isolated, and strong - when we are ambitions to be an active participant in response. “This is not an operational integrated into a family of democratic the integration processes,” President unit, which responds to disasters. This nations. We are to work for a stronger Plevneliev said. is a cluster group of expert database Bulgarian presence in initiatives and Defense Minister Velizar Shalamanov, about what is happening not only projects within the framework of NATO who also attended the opening, said in Bulgaria but in Europe, used for and the EU.” that Bulgaria’s experience allows the the needs of Bulgaria, Poland, and Instability and the conflicts in Ukraine, center to be a viable tool for improving Greece, and the interests of NATO,” the Middle East and North Africa have cooperation between NATO and the EU. said the center’s director, Colonel changed the security environment in “It’s important for us as Bulgarians Vasil Roussinov. Europe and brought challenges to NATO and hosts of this center to demonstrate The center is expected to receive countries that require a joint response, the growing experience of different accreditation from the North Atlantic President Plevneliev added. According departments and organizations, including Council soon, which will give it an to him, in addition to the asymmetric NGOs,” Minister Shalamanov added. international status. 4 ZOOM Bulgaria magazine/Issue 07 ZOOM/news Bulgaria in the Top 10 of outsourcing destinations by Vladimir Sabev The outsourcing industry has been one giant HP wants to ask a certain question The reasons why the big ones in of the most rapidly developing sectors about the products or services of the the sector opt for Bulgaria for the of the Bulgarian economy over the company, he may be actually calling its development of their business and past years, seeing a 16-percent growth Sofia-based call centre. There are dozens high-tech services are different, over the first 6 months of 2014. The of such examples now, not only in Sofia, varying from the superfast Internet near future looks bright as well. The but also in other major cities and towns – to modern and inexpensive offices, outsourcing industry generates some 3 Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna… from human resources and low labour percent of this country’s GDP and sector Global companies like Concentrix costs to the country’s EU membership. data suggests that within 3 years it will Corporation, IBM, TeleTech, Coca Cola, CEOs say that the language skills hit a turnover of EUR 1 billion. Right Adecco and many others have their of Bulgarian employees are a major now its volume is more modest and the outsourcing presence in Bulgaria. That asset – services for external clients 15 largest outsourcing companies, as is why the country is ranked among top on dozens of foreign languages are ranked by Capital Daily had a turnover outsourcing destinations globally. The delivered from this country. of more than EUR 240 million last year, prestigious AT Kearney consultancy Outsourcing has a big growth as their revenues grew by 13 percent. company ranks this country 9th in the potential here in the coming decade. Nearly 11,000 worked for that Top 15, world and the only European state that If we succeed in presenting Bulgaria out of 20,000 employed in the sector makes it into the Top 10. Bulgaria is in the best way, we will manage to across the state. one of the leading destinations in the prove that our employees are really Outsourcing means transferring of some region of Central and East Europe, with skilled and that we have the proper company operations to another country greatest potential to attract investors in the investment climate, the Economy – most often these are financial or outsourcing of business processes. Sofia, Ministry points out. This is also accounting services, any HR, customer Varna, Belgrade, Bucharest and the major confirmed by data, saying that relations or software development. In Polish regional centres are among the less than 1/3 of the leading global a number of cases we are talking of top players on the market in this area and companies in the sector are presented the so-called call centres, providing are perfect locations for new outsourcing in the region so far and the main international phone services, no matter centres, Colliers International, another efforts for attracting them are yet to the location. If a Spanish client of the US renowned analyst points out. be seen… Issue 07/ ZOOM Bulgaria magazine 5 ZOOM/panorama AFTER THE ELEctiONS Is a stable government possible? by Iliana Raicheva Low turnout, disillusionment among voters, changes in the political influence parties have by regions, a controlled vote as registered by observers, a highly fragmented parliament and the launch of stationary warfare for a position in the country’s future government – these are the broad outlines of the situation after the general elections in Bulgaria. When it became apparent that GERB party had won in over two thirds of the constituencies in the country, followed by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and that the Bulgarian Socialist Party had lost its grip practically everywhere, GERB launched a series of consultations for the formation of a new government. The new National Assembly will have twice the number of political forces than the previous parliament. Ahead of the start of the negotiations Borissov stated that his party’s team of negotiators would be pursuing one primary goal – the formation of a coalition cabinet of shared responsibility without the Bulgarian Socialist Party or the Movement for Rights and Freedoms under a clear-cut, signed agreement.