Bulgaria: Full Membership in the OECD is a Key Priority

Achieving full membership for Bulgaria in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is among the most important foreign policy priorities of the country. This was stated by the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev during his speech at a public lecture by the OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann, organized by the Diplomatic Institute of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” and the partnership of the Faculty of Economics at the university.

Bulgaria's accession to the OECD, after the country became part of the Schengen area and the Eurozone, is not just a technical process or a foreign policy goal, but a strategic choice for its future, for the way it manages its economy, its institutions, and its public policies, Georgiev further pointed out. Membership will establish Bulgaria as a modern and prosperous state with a democratic society and a developed market economy, he added.

“Bulgaria has irreversibly and categorically embarked on this path (for full membership in the OECD, author's note) with the clear determination to go all the way, regardless of the difficulties and challenges accompanying every accession process,” Georgiev also said. 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs gave due credit to the efforts of a number of Bulgarian governments over the last 4 years, who have adopted as their supra-party cause for Bulgaria to establish itself as a predictable and reliable partner in the global economic community. 

Georg Georgiev also expressed satisfaction with Bulgaria's initiative to host the OECD Global Skills Summit in 2028, which, in his words, is another confirmation of our strong and long-term interest in cooperation with the OECD on this important topic.

Foreign Minister Georgiev personally thanked Mathias Cormann for his personal commitment to the OECD enlargement process and the approach he has changed to achieve this goal. 

The event today was attended by the Rector of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Professor Dr. Georgi Valchev; the Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Associate Professor Dr. Atanas Georgiev; the Director of the Diplomatic Institute of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tanya Mihailova, in the capacity of moderator; representatives of the diplomatic corps, state institutions, academia, lecturers, and students.