Ekaterina Zaharieva: Bulgaria’s OECD Membership Will Be of Importance for Entire South Eastern Europe
29 October 2020 News
‘Bulgaria is ready to start negotiations for joining the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and we hope to get invited soonest possible,’ said Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Annual OECD Ministerial Council Meeting that took place in a virtual format.
For the first time candidate states, Bulgaria being one, were invited to attend the most important annual forum of the Organisation.
„We are becoming part of more and more legal instruments of the Organisation in key areas, and from January 1, 2021 Bulgaria will become full member of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency,“ Ekaterina Zaharieva emphasised.
She highlighted the active cooperation with the Organisation Bulgaria engages in and its growing importance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minister Zaharieva noted that Bulgaria’s joining the OECD will be of importance for the entire South Eastern Europe.
The Annual OECD Ministerial Council Meeting focused on shaping the recovery of global economy from the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussions centred on measures and instruments to tackle the crisis at the national and global level.
„The pandemic showed us all too clearly the degree of interconnection and interdependence of economies of all countries,“ Minister Zaharieva said, pointing out that while addressing the present crisis we must not allow inequalities to deepen. „Women very frequently are at the front line in the fight against this disease, and oftentimes tend to be more affected by the negative economic consequences. We should work with even greater motivation to promote more employment and career development for women globally,“ the Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister said.
Ekaterina Zaharieva underlined how instrumental the international cooperation was in addressing the challenges all states faced and stressed the role of the OECD in overcoming the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Membership in the OECD is one of Bulgaria’s main foreign policy priorities and being invited to begin negotiations is one of the government’s most prominent objectives at present.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development was founded in 1961 to promote policies for sustainable economic development, raise living standards and maintain financial stability. Over the years, the OECD established itself as a global forum for exchange of knowledge, experience and best practices and design of internationally recognised governance and policy standards in numerous economic and societal areas. 37 countries, including the most advanced economies of Europe, Asia and North and South America, are members of the OECD at present.