The Minister of Economy and Industry, Petar Dilov, held a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Canada to Bulgaria, based in Bucharest, H.E. Gavin Buchan. The two discussed the process of Bulgaria's accession to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the development of bilateral economic relations.
Minister Dilov pointed out that our accession to the OECD is among the main foreign economic priorities for Bulgaria. "We are strongly committed to completing the technical phase of accession by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026," he added.
For his part, Ambassador Buchan expressed Canada's support for our country's accession to the OECD.
The two also discussed the economic aspects of cooperation between the two countries. In 2024, trade between Bulgaria and Canada reached $363.2 million. e., with a growth of 3.1% compared to the previous year.
According to Minister Dilov, attracting Canadian investments in key sectors of the Bulgarian economy and expanding the volume and diversity of Bulgarian products on the Canadian market, especially goods with high added value, continue to be our long-term priorities.
The opportunities for cooperation within the framework of the Strategic Partnership Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada were also discussed. At the meeting, it became clear that Bulgaria consistently supports the implementation of CETA and intends to expand trade and investment opportunities with Canada, as exports to Canada have doubled over the past 7 years.
The Canadian Ambassador stressed the importance of deepening bilateral relations between the two countries, also noting that Canadian companies create about 6,000 jobs in our country. He added that the establishment of the Canada-Bulgaria Chamber of Commerce a year ago will revitalize the partnership between the countries.
The two committed to working to build even stronger and more sustainable bilateral relations in the future, with the potential to strengthen investment cooperation in the fields of energy, high technology and infrastructure.