WT/MIN(24)/ST/50  
26 February  2024 
(24-1533) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR BOGDAN BOGDANOV  
MINISTER OF ECONOMY AND INDUSTRY  
BULGARIA  
It is my honor to convey on behalf of Bulgaria our appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for 
hosting this Ministerial Conference.  
We are also very pleased to welcome the two new WTO Members – the Union of Comoros and the 
Democratic Republic of Timor -Leste. Their accession to the WTO is a demonstration that this 
Organization is key for the realization of the national economic goals of  the countries all over the 
world.  
Bulgaria takes part in MC13 with the understanding that the WTO has been the centerpiece and the 
rule-setting body of the world trading system for the last 30 years and it has to continue its role. It 
is even more importa nt in the current global challenges that affect all of us, despite our economic 
development and size of our economies. We see today a more fragmented world, rise in 
protectionism, economic insecurity and inequalities, disruption in global value chains and pressure 
on livelihoods by climate change and environmental degradation.  
In Europe in the last two years Russia 's full-scale war of aggression against  Ukraine has caused an 
enormous humanitarian crisis and thousands of civilian casualties. This unprovoked  illegal war has 
also brought economic devastation, major destabilization of the global agricultural and food markets. 
Bulgaria is amongst the countries that were most significantly affected by the economic disruptions 
of this war.  
In this world of divisio n, achieving a successful result from MC13 seems difficult, but is a must. 
Global challenges require global actions.  
For us, a meaningful package of MC13 is one that will preserve the achievements of the system and 
that will deliver decisions on legal gaps  in the rulebook of the WTO.  
First and foremost, the r eform of the dispute settlement system  is central to the legitimacy of the 
Organization  and its agreements. Bulgaria is among the vast majority of Members that support a 
meaningful reform of the WTO 's dispute settlement system , which preserve s its core 
features  – binding decisions and  appeal review . We should be mindful of the deadline agreed for this 
reform – 2024, and we support the work already done in the informal negotiations.  
Another issue at hand is the extension  of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic 
transmissions . It has been in  place for the last 25 years and has served the digital development 
across the world. The introduction of restrictions in this dynamic sector of the global economy will 
lead to  unnecessary barrier s to trade, especially for micro - and SMEs. The extension of  the 
moratorium goes hand in hand with the Work Programme on e -commerce, which has proven to be 
a valuable platform for discussion.  
Bulgaria  is committed to achieving an agreement on subsidies for overcapacity and overfishing and 
to the conclusion of the second phase of the negotiations  on Fishery Subsidies Agreement. This will 
fulfil our mandate from MC12 and from the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It will address WT/MIN(24)/ST/50  
 
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  today 's global sustainability concerns  and will show that the WTO Membership can design  multilateral 
trade rules.  
With regard to further reform in the WTO, Bulgaria shares the need to launch new work on 
contemporary trade issues. We expect that MC13 should provide guidance to start structured 
discussions on industrial subsidies and for deeper engagement on trade and environment, as well 
as on trade and inclusiveness. For us it is also important to continue the progress of the plurilateral 
initiatives on investment facilitation, e -commerce and domestic regulation and to work on their 
integration  as viable instruments within the WTO.  
Bulgaria is also committed to the on -going work on agricultural reform. We need to address food 
insecurity, export restrictions, transparency, as well as to agree on a balanced approach for the next 
stages of the neg otiations up to MC14.  
On development issues, we are ready to discuss special and differential treatment provisions that 
respond to the real needs of the WTO Members and help them better integrate into global trade. We 
support the outcome of this discussion  with particular focus on the LDCs and their graduation.  
In closing, let me re -assure you of Bulgaria 's full engagement to a successful outcome of this 
Ministerial Conference in order to reaffirm the primacy of law and the multilateral cooperation in 
today 's challenging times . 
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