At the meeting Mihail Mikov declared Bulgaria will rely on better communication and will be more receptive in respect to countries in need of a more “social” Europe. The meeting with the President of the European Economic and Social Council, Henri Malosse, took place on 4 December 2013. He is visiting Bulgaria on occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Bulgaria’s Economic and Social Council.

At the meeting Mikov noted low payment of labor and  poverty were problems that institutions were taking steps to solve. He said without adequate social policy the problems in society could get out of control and threaten democracy. He added this is not problem for Bulgaria only, but for Europe as a whole.

According to the President of the European Economic and Social Council, Henri Malosse, in the last years the economic and social values of the member countries instead of getting closer were going more apart, the reason why the ESC had proposed the introduction of a minimum wage of 400 euro, valid for the entire EU.

Mikov and Malosse discussed also the problem with the planned by some EU states extension, after 1 January 2014, of the restrictions for workers from Bulgaria to work in their countries and assess it as contrary to the values of the EU.He also said that Bulgaria should focus on local development and supporting small industrial producers, in order to fight the desertification of its regions, through its rich human and natural resources. This would revive traditionally successful sectors, such as agriculture, wood, ceramic, metalworking, and textiles.

Henri Malosse suggested a meeting at the National Assembly between representatives of the European ESC and their counterparts from the ESC of Bulgaria to be hold, where they could discuss problems and find out solutions together. Mihail Mikov and Henri Malosse have agreed the topics that could be discussed at such meeting could be transport, EU Strategy for the Region of the Danube River and youth unemployment.