Based on an interview in the Maritsa newspaper with the Chairman of the ?Rhodopes and Kouklen Park? Consortium, founded in Plovdiv, Mr. Simeon Yankov:The consortium was founded in the beginning of 2003, with the main goal of attracting foreign investors for the development of the Industrial Park, close to the Plovdiv Airport. The consortium was initiated by the brilliant idea to give a common economical direction for the development of the Kouklen Municipality (Kouklen is a village just 10 km south of Plovdiv). The idea was launched by the ?Plovdiv Association?. Initially, eighteen founders started the consortium, among which the Non-Ferous Metals Plant KCM-Plovdiv, the Plovdiv Airport, the Assenovgrad Winery JSC, the Plovdiv Association, etc. Later, new companies entered the consortium ? such as Glavbolgarstroy, The Chamber of Transport, and other companies working in the field of construction and gas industry. The Kouklen Municipality was also invited to be part of it, but did not join the consortium, due to lack of agreement on some of the conditions.What in fact is that Industrial Park going to be? It will be situated on the village of Kouklen territorial land, on an area of 2000 decares, 630 decares of which are municipal land, and the rest is owned by the state. On that area, approximately 80 different enterprises could be built, thus providing employment for the population of the region. That park and the opportunities it offers were presented by the consortium?s chairman to delegations from China, South Korea, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Germany and very recently (just 3 weeks ago) from the USA. But what actually count are the real requests; and such are available so far only by Italian, German and Turkish companies.A virtual project of the Industrial Park has been developed and is available on CD, and along with the working project it is handed to each potential investor. The Chairman Yankov will be in Rome on October 15th and 16th,on a personal-invitation visit by the Italian Minister of Foreign Trade and Economy, for a special forum with the participation of 220 Italian companies. Among the Bulgarian delegation members are the Economical Deputy Minister, Mr. Ivanovski, and the Foreign Investments Agency Director, Mr. Pavel Ezekiev.The Rhodopes and Kouklen Park Consortium has as its main goal to contribute to the regional urbanization, tourism and agriculture, so Kouklen could become a well-off municipality, perhaps the richest in that region.