Wednesday, 12 November

09.30

• Cultural Tour

17.00

•Official Opening: Introductionto the Debate

J. Smadja,Deputy ExecutiveDirector, ITC

P. Luciri, Ambassador of Switzerland to Bulgaria

L. Shouleva, Deputy Prime Minister andMinister of Economy, Bulgaria

R. Bozadzhiev, Deputy Minister of Economy in charge of ForeignTrade, Bulgaria

D. Ivanovski, Deputy Minister of Economy, Bulgaria

T. Shishkova, Executive Director, Bulgarian Trade Promotion Agency (BTPA)

B. Danev, Chairmanand ExecutivePresident, Bulgarian Industrial Association(BIA)

18.00

• Group Photograph

19.00

• Reception

Thursday, 13 November

09.00 – 12.00

First Session: 

National Competitiveness: Issues, Constraints and Strategic Implications

This session will set the scene forthe entire debate. Transition economies face particular challenges, such as integrating with the multilateral trading system and preparing for EU accession. Teams will identify, and endeavour to prioritize, the issues that currently interfere with, and will in future determine, their international competitiveness.

ITC Moderator:
J. Smadja

ITC Commentator: Team Commentators:
F. von Kirchbach

Team Commentators:
Romania Team Commentator
Serbia & Montenegro Team Commentator

Table Discussion
Open Debate
Summary and Conclusions

12.00 – 15.00

• Lunch

• Consultations on ITC Tools

15.00 – 18.00

Second Session: 

A Strategic Approach to Competitiveness: Scope, Focus and Process  

Previous Executive Forum debates have clearly established that a strategic approach to export development is essential.

The debate will focus on determining the ‘best practice’ strategic approach to competitiveness and export development. It will deal with issues relating to scope, prioritization and process. ‘Best practice’ will be discussedin the context of the following:

• sector-level strategies should be at the ‘heart’ of national export strategy;
• the value-chain approach to sector-levelstrategy represents the most suitable method of sector-level strategy design and management;
• businessassociations should initiate and lead the prioritization process;
• a public-private sector partnership is a critical feature of the strategic process; strategy makers often fail to give this key aspect sufficient attention.

ITC Moderator:
S. Piskolti

ITC Commentators:
B. Barclay
A. Said

Team Commentators:
Belarus Team Commentator
Ukraine Team Commentator

Table Debate
Open Debate
Summary and Conclusions

Friday, 14 November

09.00 – 12.00

Third Session: 

A Strategic Response to Services Exporting 

The importance of the services sector to export performance and the associatedneed to create alliances among service providers will be highlighted. National strategy makers need to lookbeyond traditional services exports to maximize opportunities that exist in the international marketplace. The followingwill be debated:

• although tourism remains a vital source of foreign exchange earnings, the sector’s commercial and sustainability objectives are potentially in conflict. ‘Best practice’ scenarios for an export-oriented tourism strategy will be presented and debated;
• maximizing the services sector’s contribution to export performance requires a strategic approach. Competitiveness constraints and the principal elements of a successful services export strategy will be discussed to identify ‘best practice’.

ITC Moderator:
H. Roelofsen

ITC Commentator:
S. Rodas

Team Commentators:
Bulgaria TeamCommentator
Romania Team Commentator
Serbia & Montenegro Team Commentator

Table Debate
Open Debate
Summary and Conclusions

12.00 – 15.00

• Lunch

• Consultations on ITC Tools

15.00 –18.00

Fourth Session: 

A Strategic Balance: FDI and In-Country Business Alliances 

Most national strategy-makers seek to create new export capacities, and to upgrade skills and technology, primarily throughFDI. Little attention is given to programmes that promote in-country business alliances, such as industrial clusters and export consortia. The following willbe debated:

• in-country business alliances generatenew national capabilities (capacities and competencies) that broadenthe export base and lead to new levels of international competitiveness;
• strategy-makers shouldstrike a more equitable balance between promoting FDI and supporting in-country businessalliances;
• although such alliances need to originate from the private sector, the public sector has the role of catalyst in promoting and fostering in-country business alliances; what are the implications for the national strategy maker?

ITC Moderator:
A. Said

ITC Commentators:
F. von Kirchbach
B. Barclay

Team Commentators:
Albania Team Commentator
Bosnia &Herzegovina Team Commentator
Bulgaria Team Commentator

Table Debate
Open Debate
Summary and Conclusions