Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze was on an official visit to Bulgaria on June 17-19. He met with Tsveta Karayancheva, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria on Monday, and discussed deepening of the bilateral ties.
In their joint statement following the meeting, Speaker Kobakhidze thanked Bulgaria for supporting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the country’s European Union and NATO aspirations.
Bulgaria is a proud member of EU and NATO and we value your readiness to share your unique experience in this regard with Georgia,” Kobakhidze said.
He said Georgia appreciates Bulgaria’s “active engagement” in the EU monitoring mission (EUMM) as well as its support for the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package. “This aspect of the cooperation of course will benefit the regional peace, stability and prosperity,” according to Irakli Kobakhidze.
According to Kobakhidze at the meeting, the parties also spoke of the potential of the two countries to further deepen cooperation in sectoral directions. “We are very motivated to fully use this potential, especially in the context of the Black Sea region,” Kobakhidze said.
Speaker Kobakhidze also added that Georgia and Bulgaria can together “serve as a bridge, connecting west with east, connecting Europe with Asia.”
The Georgian Speaker then hailed “the common spiritual and cultural proximity and heritage” of the Georgian and Bulgarian people, “that is deeply in embedded into the Orthodox Christian religion.”
This is something we all should cherish and use the common ground for further strengthening the relations and understandings between our countries and our societies,” he stated.
On June 17, Speaker Kobakhidze met with the President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev as well, discussing “improving the energy, transport and digital connectivity in the Black Sea region.”
According to President Radev, Bulgaria considers Georgia “a priority partner in the Black Sea and South Caucuses region,” and that Georgia “has its important place in strengthening security in the region, in guaranteeing energy supplies and the diversification of the sources and routes for energy transmission.”
“The ideas to establish a digital corridor between Georgia and Bulgaria, to place a cable to transmit electricity at the bottom of the Black Sea are of considerable importance,” he noted.
In Sofia, Irakli Kobakhidze met also with the Patriarch Neophyte of Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
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