On 25 June 2007 in Hall 6 of the National Palace of Culture, National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski opened the Regional Conference of the Economic and Social Councils of the Countries of Southeastern Europe and the Black Sea Region.

The two-day forum has been organised by the Bulgarian Economic and Social Council together with the European Economic and Social Committee. The conference focused on «Social and Civil Dialogue – Method of Implementing Democratic Transition and Guarantee of Success in the Partnership with the EU, the Pre-Accesssion and EU Accesssion Prpcess».

In his welcoming speech to the participants in the forum, the Parliament's Chairman pointed out that Sofia hosted the second regional conference after the one held in Thessaloniki and gave the idea to turn the meetings into tradition. I am convinced that thanks to the experience it has gained the Bulgarian Economic and Social Council is quite capable and promising herald of the these meetings and will further strengthen its role of a regional centre for the development of this dialogue in the future, Georgi Pirinski said. He assured the participants in the forum that the National Assembly will continue to lend assistance and support in the future for the benefit of the Council's productive work.

Georgi Pirinski reminded that the 40th National Assembly has been working since its formation for the establishment of active interaction between the parliamentary institution and the Economic and Social Council. I am convinced that in the National Assembly's legislative activity as well as in its parliamentary control function, its indispensable partner can and should be such a forum of wide representation as the Economic and Social Council, he added.

Today in Bulgaria we face a number of topical and acute problems, relevant to finding the best solutions related to the income and insurance rights policy, the Parliament's Chairman highlighted. What we all agree with is that there is a need for a responsible, committed process of negotiations and discussions that will enable the best solutions working for the benefit of society and citizens, he pointed out.

The regional conference is attended by President of the European Economic and Social Committee Dimitris Dimitriadis, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Emilia Maslarova, chairs of trade unions and employers' associations. Over 20 countries have sent delegates to the forum representing main institutions of the social and civil society dialogue at national level.

The discussions mainly focused on the Bulgarian model of civil and social dialogue, the Croatian model, the goals and influence of civil and social dialogue on economic and social policies and its role for the successful EU accession process and the possible extension of the cooperation based on civil society and civil dialogue in the Black Sea region.