Joining OECD Not Political Move for Bulgaria, But Effort of Entire Community, Says Burgas Deputy Mayor

BTA correspondent Maya Stefanova, Filip Pavlov

Burgas Deputy Mayor Mihail Nenov at a conference on the implications of Bulgaria's expected OECD membership for young people, held in Burgas, October 30, 2025 (BTA Photo/Hristo Stefanov)

Burgas, on the Black Sea,

30.10.2025 13:22

(BTA)

Tags

LOCAL FOCUS

Joining the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is not a political move for Bulgaria, but an effort of the entire community, and Burgas can serve as a good example in this direction, said Burgas Deputy Mayor Mihail Nenov during a conference in coastal city on Thursday. The conference, organized by the Diplomatic Institute under the Foreign Minister, examines how Bulgaria’s future OECD membership will benefit the success of young people. The focus of the discussion is on innovation in education and youth entrepreneurship.

"The core values of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - cooperation and development - are not just a goal, but an orientation towards the future that belongs to young people," Nenov emphasized, adding that the discussion about Bulgaria's membership in the OECD should be conducted through the prism of youth policies and the conditions of the ecosystem that is being created today.

Nenov noted that Burgas can be cited as a successful example of the development of the educational environment and partnership between local authorities, educational institutions, business and non-governmental organizations. "In recent years, Burgas Municipality has made extraordinary efforts for the parallel development of both secondary and higher education. This is the only city in the country that opens new educational institutions in the system of preschool and school education and is becoming the second academic centre in the country," Nenov pointed out, noting that a number of leading academic institutions already opened branches or representative offices in Burgas.

"The OECD is not an organization that only evaluates us through reports like PISA. It creates a valuable toolkit that helps us extract working solutions from our environment in order to plan effective policies," Nenov concluded.

/MR/