30.11.2022

Minister of Finance Rositza Velkova and a delegation headed by Gallina Vincelette – World Bank Country Director for the European Union, and Lasse Melgaard – World Bank Resident Representative for Bulgaria, Czechia, and Slovakia, discussed the World Bank’s partnership with Bulgaria and the priority lines of activity for their future interaction.

The visit was on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the opening of the World Bank office in Bulgaria. Over the past three decades the institution has proven itself as a reliable partner of the Bulgarian governments in implementing key reforms and achieving our national priorities, Minister Velkova pointed out. Minister Velkova familiarized the international experts with the implementation of the budget so far as well as with the macroeconomic forecast of the Ministry of Finance for 2023.

The Shared Services Centre, which was opened in 2019 in Sofia, has already employed nearly 180 persons and plans to further expand its activities; this was announced during the meeting, also attended by Vinh Nguyen, Head of the Strategy, Performance and Administration Department at the World Bank Group. Minister Velkova welcomed that decision and expressed her confidence that the global unit of the World Bank in Sofia would play an important role in the effective administration of the Bank’s operations and would have a positive impact on the economic environment and visibility of Bulgaria as a good investment destination.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of a World Bank representation office in Sofia, Minister Velkova gave Gallina Vincelette a facsimile from an article covering the opening of the Bank’s office in Sofia back in 1992.