SOFIA, April 2 (MENA) - Bulgarian Economy Minister Peter Dilov discussed with Canadian ambassador in Sofia Gavin Buchan Bulgaria's accession process to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the development of bilateral economic ties, Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reported Wednesday.

The Bulgarian minister said Bulgaria’s accession to the OECD is among the main foreign economic priorities for Bulgaria. "We are strongly committed to complete the technical phase of accession by the end of 2025 or early 2026," he added.

For his part, the Canadian ambassador expressed Canada's support for this country's accession to the OECD. They also discussed the economic aspects of cooperation between the two countries. In 2024, trade between Bulgaria and Canada reached USD 363.2 million, up by 3.1% compared with the previous year.

According to Dilov, attracting Canadian investment in key sectors of the Bulgarian economy and expanding the volume and range of Bulgarian products on the Canadian market, especially high value-added goods, continue to be among the ministry’s long-term priorities.

Opportunities for cooperation under the EU-Canada Strategic Partnership Agreement (CETA) were also discussed. It became clear at the meeting that Bulgaria consistently supports the implementation of CETA and intends to expand trade and investment opportunities with Canada, as exports to Canada have doubled in the last 7 years.

The ambassador stressed the importance of advancing bilateral ties between the two countries, noting that Canadian companies create about 6,000 jobs in our country. He added that the establishment a year ago of the Canada-Bulgaria Chamber of Commerce would intensify partnership between the two countries.

They also pledged to work to build an even stronger and more sustainable bilateral relationship in the future, with the potential to strengthen investment cooperation in the energy, high-tech and infrastructure sectors. (MENA)

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