US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.

The Deputy Secretary and Prime Minister reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Bulgaria. The Deputy Secretary congratulated the Prime Minister on the recent announcement that the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will open discussions with Bulgaria on accession, and affirmed the US commitment to work with fellow OECD members to support this process.  Deputy Secretary Sherman thanked the Prime Minister for Bulgaria’s role as a stalwart NATO Ally in the face of Russia’s escalatory actions toward Ukraine and discussed our shared commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The two also discussed the Bulgarian government’s objectives of tackling COVID, diversifying toward clean energy sources, and implementing anti-corruption reforms as priorities that will benefit the Bulgarian people.