At an EBRD conference in Budapest, Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has called for long-term planning that is to enhance EU competitiveness in a globalizing world and that would be a response to economic crisis, political instability and social unrest. According to him, achieving higher economic growth and boosting competitiveness in Eastern Europe requires countries of the region to follow a common approach when attracting investments. The Bulgarian head of state called for pointing out successes achieved by the countries of Eastern Europe when it came to European integration and not just difficulties. President Plevneliev pointed out the banking and financial stability of Bulgaria and the growth of its GDP over the last 15 years.