site.btaUPDATED Armenia's National Assembly President Simonyan Visits Bulgaria

Armenia’s National Assembly President Alen Simonyan is paying a two-day official visit to Bulgaria on Thursday and Friday at the invitation of Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov, the Bulgarian Parliament said in a press release.

After a formal welcoming ceremony and laying a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, the two heads of parliament had a one-to-one session of talks and then they joined their delegations for plenary talks.

“The advancement of parliamentary cooperation is an important element in the development of our relations,” National Assembly Speaker Rosen Zhelyazkov said at his meeting with the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan.

Zhelyazkov described as excellent the relations between Bulgaria and Armenia and pointed out that they are built on the basis of long-standing historical and cultural ties between the Bulgarian and Armenian people. “We can boast of a solid legal base, including over 60 bilateral documents,” Rosen Zhelyazkov said. “Unfortunately, our relations in the trade and economic sphere, the exchange of goods and investments fall short of the existing potential,” he added.

Traditionally, the good ties between Armenia and Bulgaria are based on friendship and shared cultural values, said the Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alen Simonyan. He stressed the importance of the dialogue between the legislative institutions of the two countries and welcomed the establishment of the Bulgaria-Armenia Friendship Group in the National Assembly. We are also pleased to note the successful preparation of an agreement on inter-parliamentary cooperation, which we hope will be signed in Yerevan soon, Simonyan added.

“We welcome Armenia's expressed intention to develop and deepen its partnership with the EU and its Member States, including within the inclusive regional political framework of the Eastern Partnership Initiative,” Zhelyazkov underscored. “For us, connectivity - infrastructure, transport, energy, digital, including people-to-people contacts - is of utmost importance,” he added.

Armenia seeks to develop its cooperation with the EU and highly appreciates Bulgari’s support, Simonyan said. He noted that it is in the interest of both countries to seek ways to increase trade and economic relations.

Zhelyazkov said that Bulgaria and the EU as a whole remain focused on building a constructive, stable and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, based on the principles of recognition and non-violation of the borders of the two countries. In his words, the only path to a sustainable solution is through negotiations and a sincere commitment by Yerevan and Baku under international mediation, preferably in the "Brussels format".

Bulgaria and Armenia will benefit from cooperating in building transport infrastructure linking Europe and Asia, Zhelyazkov said. “We are consistent in the policy of developing economic relations both on a bilateral basis and within the EU framework to develop relations with the countries of the Caucasus and the Black Sea region,” Zhelyazkov said. He expressed confidence that the established Bulgarian-Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Economy will provide additional tools for cooperation between the businesses of the two countries, and the direct air line between Sofia and Yerevan, which was opened in the spring of 2023, will have a positive effect on connectivity, business, tourism and people-to-people contacts.

On Friday, the guest will confer with the Chair of the Bulgaria-Armenia Friendship Group Atanas Zafirov and with MPs of the group.

During his visit, Simonyan will hold talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and with President Rumen Radev. The guest is scheduled to tour the St Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral, the Boyana Church, the National Museum of History and the Sts Cyril and Methodius National Library.