The 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.
- Hospitality & Real Estate: Addressing tourism industry trends, connectivity improvements, and cross-border investment opportunities.
- 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.