Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué's Visit to ESEE and Bulgaria

The Regional office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in East and Southeast Europe (“FNF ESEE”) has had the great honour to have Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, as a special guest at the Regional Conference in Sofia. Hosted by the Regional Director, Dr Rainer Adam, the event was called “Reaching Target Audiences” and included innovative facilitation techniques. It was the first of its kind, including not only the Project Directors, but all the FNF colleagues working with partners and programmes. 

It was Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué’s first visit not only to the ESEE Region but also to Bulgaria and though short, it was very intensive and effective. At the beginning of his visit, he addressed the participants to the Regional Conference and shared the latest news, achievements and priorities of the Board of Directors and the Head Office of the Foundation. Subsequently, Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué participated in the Strategy and Planning working sessions of the Project Directors in the Region. 

Publically, the Vice President of the Board of Directors of FNF was a special guest of honour of a few meetings with high-level partners of the Foundation in Bulgaria. First and foremost, Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué, accompanied by all the Project Directors and Dr Rainer Adam, the Regional Director, was received at a high-level official dinner by H.M. King Simeon II, Prime Minister of Bulgaria (2001-2005), Ex-King of Bulgaria (1942-46) and founder of one of the liberal political parties, the National Movement for Stability and Progress. The latter is both a member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and the Liberal International. The guests elaborated, among other topics, on the progress and prospects of Bulgaria ten years after the signing of the EU Accession Treaty. 

Furthermore, Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué had the opportunity to meet with another important liberal stakeholder in Bulgaria, Mr Krassen Stanchev, Founder and Chairman of the Management Board of the Institute of Market Economics, one of the most influential think tanks in Eastern Europe, to discuss where Bulgaria is heading given the recent massive civil protests and continuous economic hardships. Last, but not least, Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué met, together with FNF Southeast Europe leadership and Dr Rainer Adam, with H.E. Ambassador Detlef Lingemann, Ambassador of the Republic of Germany in Bulgaria. 

Dr Rainer Adam, on behalf of the whole team of the Regional office of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in East and Southeast Europe, would like to once again express our deepest gratitude to Prof Dr Karl-Heinz Paqué for his commitment and his hands-on time contribution to the strategic Regional Conference and to relationship management with key stakeholders on the ground. We look forward to having the honour of follow-up visits in our Region, either in our Regional office in Sofia or in any other Project Office of the Foundation.

Watch a video from the conference here with the impressions of FNF colleagues from the whole region: 

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