site.btaHuge Agreement Achieved on Every Topic in Cabinet-formation Talks - Continue the Change Co-leader Petkov

Sofia, November 28 (BTA) - Emerging late on Saturday evening from the last, 18th negotiation meeting held by the Continue the Change party with experts of BSP for Bulgaria, There Is Such a People (TISP) and Democratic Bulgaria in order to reach an agreement on Bulgaria's future coalition governance, Continue the Change co-leader Kiril Petkov said that these 18 talks over the course of five days were very intensive but there was not a single topic on which a huge agreement was not reached. "This means that it does not matter whether we are left, centre or right," he added.

International relations

Discussing the topic of international relations at their last meeting, the four political formations agreed that Bulgaria will keep its position regarding the Republic of North Macedonia and will upgrade this position in a constructive manner. Bulgaria expects the authorities in Skopje to guarantee lastingly the rights of North Macedonia's citizens who self-identify as Bulgarians. The joint commissions set up under the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Goodneighbourliness and Cooperation between the two countries should meet at least once a month.

The participants in the talks agreed on the position that the dialogue with Russia within the EU should be restored, and equal-rights relations should be developed based on the principles of international law.

Among the goals of Bulgaria's foreign policy will be: deepening of the ties with the Republic of Korea, Japan, Canada, and the Indo-Pacific; deepening of the strategic cooperation with the US; mutually beneficial cooperation with China following the EU's approach; strengthening the dialogue with the Middle East and North Africa; preserving the goodneighbourly relations with Turkey while preserving Bulgaria's dignity and observing human rights, and supporting a new EU-Turkey agreement on refugees.

The participants in the talks also rallied behind the following foreign policy goals: confirmation of Bulgaria's Euro-Atlantic integration; integration in the fields of justice, energy and healthcare; reform of the European policy on migration and asylum; entry in the Schengen Area; elaboration of a roadmap for Bulgaria's entry in the euro area in conformity with the country's financial and economic strategy. Active participation should be taken in the negotiations on membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by 2023.

Among the proposed measures were non-admission of the differentiated integration in the EU at two speeds, and speeding up the work on the adoption and application of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The role of the Foreign Ministry should be strengthened in the development of foreign economic ties, guaranteeing energy security, and attracting foreign investments. The Ministry should assist the Education and Science Ministry in its work on supporting Bulgarian schools abroad.  

The State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad will be transformed as a structure with the Foreign Ministry. A thorough analysis and strategic review of the diplomatic service is needed, the results of which should be discussed in a coalition format. The quality of consular services should be systematically assessed, the participants in the talks also agreed.

Finance

Discussing the topic of finance earlier on Saturday, Continue the Change, BSP for Bulgaria, TISP and Democratic Bulgaria agreed that the 2022 state budget should be drafted by the end of January and that a budget update should be elaborated in July 2022 based on the first six months of the budget's implementation and taking into view the results of the analyses from the other negotiation groups. It was also agreed that by mid-2022 a time plan should be prepared for the implementation of the reforms proposed by the other negotiation groups; this plan should include details on the reforms' funding.
    
The participants also agreed that Parliament should exercise control over the spending of the budget surplus so as to put an end to the practice where such funds are distributed by Council of Ministers decree. Complete capital budgeting should be introduced and a multiannual capital programme should be adopted as part of the budget.  

The budget deficit next year will be between 3.5 and 4.5 per cent. The VAT will remain unchanged but a full analysis on it should done by September 2022. The VAT registration threshold will be raised, initially to 100,000 leva and in 2023 to 160,000 leva while exercising strict control over the reporting of revenue and imposing big sanctions. The monthly VAT declarations will undergo changes.

It was also agreed that a plan for capital support for Bulgarian businesses should be drafted by June 2022. Active work should begin with municipalities on the creation of a model for financial de-centralization to be introduced with the 2023 state budget. The current measures supporting businesses affected by the pandemic, will remain in force until the end of 2022.

The capacity of the National Revenue Agency (NRA) will be increased, in particular that of its analytical units. Banks will have to inform the NRA of cash withdrawals over 10,000 leva. An external audit of Corpbank's insolvency will be made by December 2022.

A large-scale information campaign about Bulgaria's adopting the euro will be conducted, the participants in the talks also agreed.

/DS, ZH/