site.btaVon der Leyen Says Zaharieva's Research and Innovation Portfolio Must Be "at the Centre of Our Economy"

Announcing the distribution of portfolios in the next European Commission on Tuesday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Research and Innovation, the portfolio of Bulgarian Commissioner-designate Ekaterina Zaharieva, must be at the centre of the EU economy, the Commission said on its website.

"Ekaterina Zaharieva will be Commissioner for Research and Innovation. We must put research and innovation, science and technology at the centre of our economy. She will help ensure that we invest more and focus our spending on strategic priorities and on groundbreaking innovation," von der Leyen told a news conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Zaharieva told Bulgarian journalists in Strasbourg that the portfolio allocated to Bulgaria is extremely important: "I am aware of the great responsibility. The portfolio Bulgaria received is one of the portfolios of the future."