BNP Paribas S.A. Sofia Branch (Bulgaria)

Bulgaria's commercial and investment bank BNP Paribas Bulgaria was established under the name of BNP-Dresdner Bank Bulgaria in 1994. BNP-Dresdner Bank was set up with Banque Nationale de Paris and Dresdner Bank holding 40% each and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development the remaining 20%. At the offset, the bank serviced mostly French and German companies operating in Bulgaria and local importers and exporters.
After the merger of BNP and Paribas in 2000, BNP Paribas decided to buy out the 40% from Dresdner Bank and changed the branch name to BNP Paribas Bulgaria. At the end of 2003, BNP Paribas bought out the 20% of EBRD shareholding and acquired full control of the bank.
BNP Paribas was the Bulgarian government's adviser on the privatisation of seven electricity distribution companies, which was successfully completed in 2004.
The lender operates two branch offices in Bulgaria - one in the capital Sofia and one in the Black Sea port of Varna.