3rd AmChams Regional Economic Summit 2026
The 3rd AmChams Regional Economic Summit (ARES) brought together business leaders, government officials, and institutional partners from across Southeast Europe, the Caucasus, and beyond, reaffirming the event’s role as a leading platform for regional economic cooperation. The Summit drew 313 registrations, resulted in 300 arranged business meetings and 244 matchmaking participants, and featured 12 speaking slots delivered by 60 speakers and moderators, backed by 25 sponsors and guests from 18 countries.
The event was supported by Bulgaria’s Ministry of Economy, Investments and Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, and Ministry of Innovation and Digital Transformation, together with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It was co-organized with AmCham Türkiye and the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, with further partnership from AmCham North Macedonia, the American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova, AmCham Armenia, AmCham Azerbaijan, and AmCham Georgia, plus support from seven additional chambers.
Three AmCham presidents opened the forum against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruption, and rapid technological change. Emre Karter, Chair of AmCham Türkiye, noted that platforms like ARES are more important than ever in this environment; Tommy Ver Elst, President of AmCham Bulgaria, emphasized that cross-border collaboration can improve the investment climate for the benefit of every citizen in the region; and John D. Saracakis, President of AmCham Greece, highlighted the AmCham network’s unique position representing communities that value entrepreneurship, open markets, innovation, and strong transatlantic ties. Five government ministries also delivered messages on collaborative work toward shared success across the ARES “super region.”
The Summit’s plenary and thematic sessions spanned a wide range of regional priorities. Panels examined digital transformation, AI, connectivity, and geospatial technologies and their impact on competitiveness; electronic identification and digital access tools in a dedicated fireside chat; and the development of regional leadership talent, including plans for a new leadership academy. Energy security and resilience was addressed through discussions on financing, critical raw materials, renewables and battery storage, nuclear power, and natural gas infrastructure, while a separate session looked at regional infrastructure and construction, covering strategic projects across Bulgaria, the Caucasus, and Ukraine’s recovery and how to make them bankable. Logistics, supply chain, and manufacturing conversations focused on automation, human networks in crisis response, and how geopolitical risk is reshaping corporate decision-making, and further panels covered financing and investment, regional investment opportunities from agencies in Armenia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Türkiye, defense and dual-use innovation, small modular reactor prospects, and aviation opportunities in Eurasia, including a case for reviving a direct U.S.–Bulgaria air route.
Notable speakers included Kenneth Merten, Managing Director at Straife and former U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria (2023–2025), who spoke on the role of AmChams in supporting U.S. businesses abroad and fostering regional economic connectivity, alongside representatives from the World Bank Group, EBRD, IFC, Boeing, Coca-Cola HBC, and the Bulgarian Development Bank.
The 3rd ARES was made possible by the generous support of its Platinum, Gold, and Silver sponsors, along with dedicated media partners, whose contributions helped deliver a Summit of this scale and impact.
Read the full post-event overview on AmCham Bulgaria’s website here!
Event Resources
Remind me with
iCalThe AmChams Regional Economic Summit (ARES) is a joint initiative of the American Chambers of Commerce in Bulgaria, Greece and Türkiye. It aims to promote sustainable economic growth, create b2b opportunities, and strengthen the regional ecosystem of entrepreneurs and investors.
The Summit’s primary objective is to unite collective capacity, business networks, and institutional engagement to advance B2B cooperation across a super-region with untapped potentialthat includes Southeast Europe, Central Asia, and MENA. By fostering dialogue between the private and public sectors, the forum seeks to lay a strong foundation for long-term regional development and shared prosperity.
Building on the success of the inaugural 2024 Summit in Istanbul and the 2025 edition in Athens, the ARES 2026 will be hosted in Sofia, Bulgaria.
With more than 200 participants from 16 countries and approximately 100 pre-arranged B2B meetings, it serves as a unique and premier platform for cross-border collaboration. It is designed to stimulate growth-oriented dialogue, strengthen commercial ties, and identify new business and investment opportunities. Moreover, in 2026, the United States of America will commemorate 250 years of Independence, and the event will mark this celebration respectfully.
Key Topics
The Summit will cover high-impact industries and economic drivers in thematic sessions on:
- Energy: Energy supply and security, sustainability, and infrastructure investments, including nuclear, LNG projects, the Vertical Gas Corridor and renewable energy transitions.
- Construction & Infrastructure: Exploring sustainable urban development, engineering innovations, and infrastructure investments for economic growth.
- Financing & Investment: Examining funding mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and emerging financial technologies.
- Technology & Digital Transformation: AI, IoT, connectivity, including Kardesa Project, and digital upskilling to enhance business efficiency and competitiveness.
- Manufacturing & Industrial Development: Automation, green manufacturing, and industrial innovation.
- Supply Chains & Logistics: Enhancing supply chain resilience, transparency, and sustainability through digital advancements.
Participating Countries
The ARES Super Region will welcome delegations from several regions, including:
- Steering Committee: Bulgaria, Greece, Türkiye.
- Eurasia and Central Asia: Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
- Southeast Europe: Cyprus, Moldova, North Macedonia, Serbia, Romania.
- MENA – Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Qatar will be invited to participate.
- Observing AmChams: Ukraine, Kazakhstan
AmCham Bulgaria will provide support with visa facilitation, hotel accommodation arrangements, and potential flight discounts.
Summit Objectives
- Signify a shared vision for long-term regional development and shared prosperity.
- Promote Regional Trade and Investment: Highlight sector-specific opportunities and facilitate strategic partnerships.
- Policy and Economic Dialogue: Engage public and private stakeholders on frameworks that support regional economic cooperation.
- B2B: Enable targeted business meetings through a structured matchmaking platform.
Event Format
The two-day Summit will feature:
- High-Level Keynotes: by government officials, ambassadors, senior corporate leaders.
- Panel Discussions: Expert-led sessions on priority sectors and regional challenges.
- B2B Meetings: Structured matchmaking sessions.
Networking Opportunities: Evening and luncheon receptions to encourage informal business engagement
Trade & Investment Promotion: Roundtables with national investment agencies.
The AmChams Eurasian Economic Summit 2026 will act as a hub for fostering trade and investment partnerships across key industries, strengthening cross-border collaborations, and driving sustainable economic growth.
With an expanded scope and strategic focus, the Summit will reinforce the importance of unified regional efforts in shaping a prosperous and resilient economic future.
3rd ARES Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Media Partners
City Commute Partner
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Via the following link from the button bellow, you can view the available sponsorship packages, which are a great opportunity to position your company and support the upcoming Summit.
Registration
You can register for ARES through the following link
Contacts
If you have any questions about the upcoming AmChams Regional Economic Summit, you can contact:
- Nadezhda Vakareeva, Project and Event Manager, nadia@amcham.bg
- Tatyana Vladimirova, Corporate Relations & Business Development Manager, tatyana@amcham.bg
