The Minister of Foreign Affairs Georgiev participated in the OECD's annual meeting, discussing key priorities for Bulgaria.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Georgiev participated in the annual meeting of the Council of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), held on 3-4 June in Paris. Bulgaria was invited to participate in this highest political forum of the Organisation for the year in its capacity as a candidate country for OECD membership. This year's meeting was held under the motto "Towards a Sustainable and Inclusive Prosperity through Rules-Based Trade, Investment and Innovation".

During the discussions, Minister Georgiev emphasized that increasing competitiveness through innovation is a strategic priority for Bulgaria. He stressed that the national development programme "BULGARIA 2030" focuses on people-centred development, with the aim of reducing regional disparities, ensuring equal access to education and healthcare, as well as supporting the transition to a green and digital economy. Georgiev stressed that providing opportunities, skills and education, especially in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics for girls and young women, will empower young people to lead transformative programmes in a rapidly changing world.

During the meeting, Minister Georgiev and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann discussed the progress in the process of Bulgaria's accession to the Organisation. Georgiev confirmed that this is a top foreign policy priority for the government, expressing the ambition to complete the technical phase of the process by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026, with the aim of obtaining full membership in 2026.

At an official ceremony, Georgi Georgiev and Mathias Cormann signed an Agreement between the Republic of Bulgaria and the OECD on the privileges, immunities and facilities granted to the Organisation. This is a necessary condition for accession to the OECD and is an integral part of the general obligations to be adopted by candidate countries. The signing of the agreement is an important political signal of Bulgaria's readiness to join the Organisation.