Bulgarians from abroad are also among the applicants for the Bulgarian Trade and Economic Affairs Offices
194 applications have been submitted for the 23 vacant positions of Trade Representatives in the Trade and Economic Affairs Offices (STIV) of Bulgaria in 21 countries around the world. Among the candidates there are also Bulgarians living abroad, mostly our compatriots from European countries. This is according to the aggregated data after the deadline for the submission of documents.
Competitions are held in three areas — “European countries”, “CIS countries” and “Asia, Africa, America and Australia”. The candidates are mainly economists, there are those who are graduates of Bulgarian universities, but there are also graduates abroad.
Today, the working committee started its work, which carries out a follow-up procedure to check the submitted documents to see whether the applicants meet the originally announced requirements, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Nikolay Pavlov said. The eligibility conditions for the procedure are a university degree — Master’s degree, fluency in the commonly accepted language of the country applied for, and a compulsory knowledge of English. Criteria include digital competence, a minimum of 6 years’ work or service experience and proven experience in foreign economic and trade relations.
Specific requirements are also set for the candidates, such as knowledge of the economic development of the given country, as well as the bilateral relations of our country with it. Knowledge is also needed on the legal framework and on the international obligations of the Republic of Bulgaria related to the specifics of the work in the STIV.
Applicants who are admitted to the next stage of the procedure will have to submit an analysis of the existing bilateral foreign economic and trade relations of the Republic of Bulgaria with the country for which they are applying. They will also be expected to focus on potential opportunities for development, investment and trade over the next 4 years.
The final stage will be an interview involving all members of the renewed selection panel. For the first time, the evaluation committee includes representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nationally represented employers’ organisations, experts from academia, educational institutions and NGOs.
The new trade representatives are expected to be elected in the first months of 2024, Deputy Minister Pavlov said.