site.btaPM Borissov Confers with OECD Secretary General, Turkish President in New York

106 POLITICS-UN-BULGARIA-PM-MEETINGS

PM Borissov Confers
with OECD Secretary General,
Turkish President in New York


New York, September 26 (BTA) - Bulgaria will step up preparations for membership of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and hopes to receive a date promptly for the start of accession negotiations, said Prime Minister Boyko Borissov at a meeting with OECD Secretary General Angel Guria here on Tuesday.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister hailed Guria's efforts to achieve consensus on the OECD enlargement and voiced hope that the organisation will acknowledge Bulgaria's efforts during its membership preparations.

Borissov recalled that in 2007 Bulgaria filed a formal application for OECD membership and at the end of 2017 the Bulgarian government decided to set up a permament interagency coordination mechanism and approved a roadmap for Bulgaria's actions in joining the OECD. Borissov noted Bulgaria's active participation in the organisation's major bodies and accession to a number of legal instruments.

Guria expressed support for Bulgaria's bid to the OECD and congratulated the country on its achievements so far during the course of preparations.

On the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed advancing of bilateral cooperation and Turkey's contribution to curbing migrant pressure along the Bulgarian border.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister underscored that Turkey remains Bulgaria' immediate neighbour and a key partner in efforts against migration and terrorism.

Turkish President Erdogan thanked Prime Minister Borissov for the organisation of the EU-Turkey high-level meeting in the Bulgarian city of Varna on March 26. According to the Turkish President the meeting set on a positive course of development relations between Ankara and Brussels.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister noted the importance of the agreement between the EU and Turkey for all European countries, adding that peace and dialogue are the best tools of diplomacy. LI/PP

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