Assen Vassilev

Bulgaria's Finance Minister, Assen Vassilev, asserts that Bulgaria can attain Eurozone membership by 2025, with the caretaker government capable of steering the nation towards this goal.

Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe confirmed that Bulgaria could adopt the euro in 2025. This statement came following discussions with Bulgarian officials, including outgoing Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel, and outgoing Finance Minister Assen Vassilev.

Bulgarian Ministers Rumen Radev of Energy and Assen Vassilev of Finance recently engaged in high-level talks with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm in Washington, D.C., focusing on critical energy issues. The meeting underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation in nuclear technology, energy diversification, and enhancing energy security.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Bulgaria's Finance Minister Assen Vassilev shared insights into the upcoming Cabinet rotation, expressing expectations of limited changes. Vassilev indicated that discussions between Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel are underway, with the process involving proposals for potential modifications to the Cabinet.

In a unanimous decision, the We Continue the Change (WCC) Executive Council appointed Nikola Minchev as the leader of the party's European elections list during a meeting on Wednesday. Assen Vassilev, WCC co-leader, emphasized Minchev's role as a robust Bulgarian representative in European politics.

The Finance Minister, Assen Vassilev, refuted any connection between ongoing tax inspections at numerous Austrian companies and Austria's recent rejection of Bulgaria's Schengen accession. Vassilev clarified that the inspections involving a large Austrian food chain and a petrol station were part of regular fiscal risk assessments mandated by the goods declaration regulation.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet on Thursday with Bulgaria's counterpart, Nikolai Denkov, at the Maximos Mansion, to discuss transport and energy projects.

The meeting, scheduled at 1.30 p.m., will be followed by a working lunch.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov commended Finance Minister Assen Vassilev and his team for achieving a 2.2% budget deficit for 2023, surpassing the anticipated 3%. Denkov hailed this success, emphasizing that it's a notable improvement compared to the forewarned higher percentages that were previously speculated.

Discussions surrounding the state budget for 2024 are scheduled to kick off in the coming week during plenary sessions, with amendments to tax laws set for review tomorrow, as confirmed by Finance Minister Assen Vassilev and National Assembly's Budget and Finance Committee Chair, Yordan Tsonev.

Mairead McGuinness, the European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services, and the Capital Markets Union, is set to embark on a consequential two-day working visit to Bulgaria, as confirmed by the press service of the European Commission's Representation in Bulgaria.