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Rumen Radev: Bulgaria Should be Given Concrete Date for Launching Negotiations for OECD Accession as Soon as Possible

I firmly believe that Bulgaria should get the exact date for launching negotiations for OECD accession as soon as possible and this date should be in the foreseeable future. This is what President Rumen Radev said after holding a meeting with the OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria at 2 Dondukov street. The second meeting between the two is held within a period of four months, after Rumen Radev and Angel Gurria held talks in Paris in December 2017.

The Head of State called for recognizing the results our country has achieved and the path it has covered. “Although not an OECD member, Bulgaria implements its standards and works to ensure that these standards are implemented in our region as well,” Rumen Radev said.

As President of the EU Council, Bulgaria not only strives for a better cooperation between the EU and OECD, but also has made a considerable contribution to stabilizing the sensitive region of the Western Balkans and to reaffirming the OECD values, principles and practices in the Black Sea region, the President further said. In Rumen Radev’s words, receiving an invitation to start Bulgaria’s OECD accession talks has a regional dimension and added value for the whole of Southeastern Europe and “will be a strong signal for the path the other countries in our region should follow.”

Bulgaria is member of about 10 different committees and takes part in 12 instruments within the OECD, Rumen Radev and Angel Gurria said. The country is already a member of the family of the organization and the ties are becoming stronger, the Secretary General said.  In Angel Gurria’s words, this results in stronger ties vis-à-vis the new committees and instruments Bulgaria aspires to and voiced OECD’s readiness to support the reforms launched and our country’s steps to achieve progress before the accession negotiations are officially launched.