Deputy Minister of Economy Nikolay Pavlov had talks with Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the OECD
Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Nikolay Pavlov participated in the joint meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) and the EU Competitiveness Council, which took place in Warsaw. The Polish Presidency organized this first-of-its-kind joint meeting of the two Councils, emphasizing the need for increasingly close coordination between trade and industrial policies to preserve and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.
“Bulgaria supports the implementation of a unified approach to trade and industrial policy, as well as the connecting link between them—competition policy—considering that they are closely interrelated and must be coordinated as part of a comprehensive industrial strategy,” Deputy Minister Pavlov said in his speech.
He stressed that our country agrees on the need for significant changes in the EU’s industrial and trade policies, as outlined in Mario Draghi’s report. The priorities should include investing in innovation, boosting foreign investments, advancing clean energy technologies, improving coordination among member states, and easing the regulatory burden on businesses.
Deputy Minister Pavlov voiced his support for creating EU sector-specific action plans. He stressed the importance of developing immediate measures to stop Europe’s deindustrialization, focusing on high energy costs and securing raw materials.
He said the European Union’s ability to secure access to critical resources and protect key value chains can potentially be achieved not only through free trade agreements but also through other forms of economic partnership.
In Warsaw Deputy Minister Pavlov spoke to Mathias Cormann, the Secretary-General of the OECD, who was a special guest at the forum. Deputy Minister Pavlov confirmed that joining the OECD is a primary foreign policy priority of the Bulgarian government and expressed Bulgaria’s commitment to complete the technical phase of the accession process by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026.
During his official visit, Deputy Minister Pavlov met with the Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anastasios Hadjivassiliou. They discussed the growth of European industry, opportunities to improve bilateral trade and economic relations, and other topics of mutual interest.