WT/MIN(17)/ST/37  
 
13 December 2017  
(17-6923) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR  EMIL LYUBENOV KARANI KOLOV  
MINISTER OF ECONOMY  
BULGARIA  
Allow me, first of all, to express on behalf of the Government of Bulgaria our deep gratitude and 
appreciation to the Government of Argentina for the warm hospitality and excellent organization of 
the Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference. Argentina is a highly respected trade and economic 
partner of Bulgaria and I would like to use this opportunity to r estate our desire to further enhance 
and deepen our bilateral relations.  
The Eleventh Ministerial Conference is taking place in a challengin g international environment. 
In this context it is crucial to preserve and strengthen the central role of the WTO in  the 
multilateral trading system. In the globalized world of today WTO is a strong vehicle for promoting 
economic growth, job creation and development and in reducing poverty and inequality.  
MC11 should build upon the success of the Bali and Nairobi Minist erial Conferences. The entry into 
force of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and of the Protocol A mending the Agreement on 
Trade -related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights are two examples of the implementation of 
their decisions and their role for add ressing the issues of primary interest to the developing 
countries. The implementation of the Ministerial decision on export competition is a graphic 
instance attesting that when there is political will and readiness on the part of all members to 
make thei r contribution results can be achieved even in such a sen sitive area as agriculture. 
The fact that the EU was the second in implementing this decision in spite of the circumstance that 
it passes through a complicated procedure involving the 28 Member State s underlines the Union’s 
commitment to promptly and fully implement the obligation it undertakes. As far as Bulgaria is 
concerned it transposes in an appropriate manner these obligations in its national legislation.  
Bulgaria as a state that has gone in the  last three decades through substantial transformation 
reaffirms the critical importance of development in the work of the WTO, including special and 
differential treatment addressing the real needs of developing and least-developed countries. 
This issue a s well as issues related to the present day trade patterns should be Part of the 
decisions of the Buenos Aires Ministerial conference and of the future work programme of the 
WTO.  
We are committed to achieving positive results in implementing the UN Sustain able Development 
Goal 14.6 in the area of fishery subsidies and to agreeing upon a permanent solution on public 
stockholding for food security purposes. However, we consider that for achieving balanced results 
in the interest of all members progress should  be reached on domestic support for agriculture and 
on enhancing transparency on export restrictions and prohibitions on agricultural products.  
The fact that eight proposals on e -commerce have been forwarded to the Ministerial Conference 
proves that in spi te of the difference in approaches there is a common recognition that the issue 
deserves a more efficient horizontal approach that could render a cross -cutting analysis and 
identify areas where negotiations for common rules may begin. The EU proposal is fo cused on this 
goal. 
The proposals on domestic regulation in services and on transparency in trade of goods in favour 
of small and medium sized enterprises are examples how WTO may become more business WT/MIN(17)/ST/37  
 
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  friendly and enhance the integration of ordinary econom ic players in the trading system. 
We support them and believe that they will bring benefits to all member states.  
The initiatives on investment facilitation, on micro -, small and medium sizes enterprises if includ ed 
in the post MC 11 work programme will giv e added value to efforts of the WTO to address 
adequately the contemporary global economic and trade issues.  
Dear Ms. Chairperson, Bulgaria believes that under your guidance the Conference will succeed in 
achieving meaningful outcomes. Bulgaria which takes  over the presidency of the Council of the 
European Union on 1 January 2018 will be ensuring that the Union will be a driving force for 
implementing these results.  
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