Mariya Angelieva: Working mechanisms are being sought to ensure the smooth arrival of third-country workers in Bulgaria
09 August 2024 News
"Working mechanisms are being sought to ensure the smooth arrival of third-country workers in Bulgaria. These measures may also include the conclusion of bilateral agreements with specific countries,” Deputy Foreign Minister Mariya Angelieva said at a meeting with the President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Tsvetan Simeonov and the Chairman of the Bulgarian-Uzbek Friendship Association Toshko Krastev, which took place today at the Foreign Ministry.
The three discussed the challenges Bulgarian employers face in attracting workers from third countries and issuing long and short-term visas. Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov declared that in his person the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can count on support for finding solutions both in the interest of employers' organizations and in favour of the ministry, in particular finding a permanent staffing solution for securing the consular services engaged in issuing work and tourist visas.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to make every effort to achieve full membership in the Schengen area and strictly implements the requirements of European legislation on the procedure for processing visa applications, as well as the acceptance and review of the entire set of required documents to be presented by each applicant for a Schengen visa," Deputy Minister Angelieva pointed out, adding that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already taken concrete actions to ensure the minimum necessary human resources in the busiest consular
At the end of the meeting, the participants agreed that a good basis had been laid for continued cooperation to overcome the existing challenges of recruiting third-country workers.