Deputy Minister Pavlov Participates in Joint Meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council and the EU Competitiveness Council

Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Nikolay Pavlov participated in the joint meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (Trade section) and the EU Competitiveness Council, which took place in Warsaw. The Polish Presidency organized the first-ever joint meeting of the two Councils, emphasizing the need for ever closer 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 and the connecting link between them – competition policy, considering that they are closely interconnected and must be coordinated as part of a common industrial strategy,” said Deputy Minister Pavlov in his speech.

He stressed that our country agrees with the need for substantial changes in the EU’s industrial and trade policies, expressed in Mario Draghi’s report, with a focus on investment in innovation, increased foreign investment, clean energy technologies, better coordination between Member States and a reduction in the regulatory burden on companies.

Deputy Minister Pavlov expressed support for the development of EU sectoral action plans. He stressed the need to develop urgent sectoral measures to halt the deindustrialization of Europe, paying special attention to high energy prices and the provision of raw materials.

According to him, the EU’s ability to secure access to critical resources and protect key value chains can be achieved not only through free trade agreements, but also through other forms of economic partnership.

In Warsaw, he spoke with OECD Secretary-General Matthias Kormann, a special guest of the forum, to whom he confirmed that accession to the OECD is a key foreign policy priority of the Bulgarian government and stated 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 also met with Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Anastasios Hadjivasiliou, with whom he discussed the development of European industry and the opportunities for improving bilateral trade and economic relations, as well as issues of mutual interest.