Large industry owners and members of the BCCI are awarded with state orders from the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev

"Bulgarian industrial enterprises provide jobs and opportunities for professional development and are not only an important part of the backbone of our extractive and processing industries, but also make a significant contribution towards guaranteeing Bulgaria's independence from raw materials, as well as its economic independence." This is what President Rumen Radev declared at a Ceremony in the Coat-of-Arms Hall on 2 Dondukov Str. to confer state honours.

The Order of Stara Planina, First Degree, was awarded to Prof. Dr. Tsolo Vutov (owner of „GEOTECHMIN“ GROUP, Krassimir Dachev (owner of „SVILOZA“ and Depty President of BCCI), Prof. Nikolay Valkanov (owner of „MINSTROY“ Holding) for their contribution to the economic development of Bulgaria. Prof. Dr. Lalko Dulevski was awarded the Order, called For Civil Merit, First Degree, for his services to strengthening the Economic and Social Council as a democratic institution. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eng. Nikola Dobrev received the President's Honourary Badge for his outstanding achievements in the field of metallurgy and management of the Nonferrous Metals Factory – KCM Plovdiv and for his patronage activities in support of the Bulgarian culture and arts.

The proposals for conferring highest state honours are made by reputable action committees, professional and public organisations and persons of great public recognition. The President also noted the awardees’ active commitment to the debate on the economic development of our country, as well as to the problems of society by means of different cultural, educational, humanitarian and local causes.

Also, The Head of State highlighted the contribution of the honorees to Bulgaria's industrial development unlike the "numerous cases of predatory privatisation during the years of transition", which led to many people losing their means of livelihood after the closure of entire sectors of the economy and the plunder of leading Bulgarian enterprises, followed by selling them out for scrap. In the President's view, today the importance of the Bulgarian industry is growing even more against the background of the struggle for natural resources worldwide and the search for ways to accelerate the revival of industrial production in Europe.