Minister Bogdanov and Deputy Prime Minister Maria Gabriel signed an agreement on institutional cooperation between the two ministries
The Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will cooperate with a view to improving the work of the Trade and Economic Affairs Offices (STIV) of Bulgaria’s missions abroad and aligning their activities with the foreign policy priorities in the field of economic diplomacy. Minister Bogdan Bogdanov and Deputy Prime Minister Maria Gabriel signed an inter-ministerial agreement to strengthen the role of the STIV as a leading factor in the implementation of Bulgarian foreign policy, in particular foreign economic priorities. The document provides for the conduct of specialised pre-mandate training for the staff of the STIV in order to enhance their professional qualifications. The training activities will be implemented and coordinated by the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The agreement also sets out the basic principles of the training, which include expanding knowledge of national and international mechanisms for the development of economic cooperation.
Each year, the Diplomatic Institute sets the conduct of a pre-mandate course for STIV as an activity in its Annual Work Plan. For its part, the Ministry of Economy will inform the conduct of each STIV competition during the year, and a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be included in the selection committees.
Prior to the secondment of any representative of the Trade and Economic Affairs Services, in order to enhance his/her professional competence, a mandatory pre-mandate training will be required.
‘It is extremely important to show unity in the work of foreign diplomacy and the development of personnel who can implement the ambitious goals we have set to expand the country’s economic potential,’ Minister Bogdanov said. In his words, this cooperation agreement between the two ministries lays a good foundation for a competitive and stable Bulgarian economy.
‘We are sending a message of interaction, coordination and common goals for Bulgaria’s foreign policy and trade and economic relations. The agreement between the two ministries is a sign that in order to achieve the country’s foreign policy priorities, the expertise of the commercial and economic attachés is key. Together we can shape the solutions of the future’, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Gabriel said.