site.btaIPU Secretary General Candidate Avgerinopoulou Meets Bulgarian Parliamentary Delegation Head Kirova

The candidate for Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou, a member of the Greek Parliament, met on Friday with Rositsa Kirova, Head of the Permanent Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union of the 51st National Assembly, the parliamentary Committee on Direct Participation of Citizens, Citizens' Complaints and Interaction with Civil Society, chaired by Kirova, announced.

Avgerinopoulou presented her candidature for the position of Secretary General of the IPU and discussed support within the 12+ geopolitical group in connection with the upcoming General Assembly, which will be held in Istanbul from April 15 to 19.

During the meeting, Avgerinopoulou outlined her vision for the future development of the organization, based on her long-standing experience and active engagement within the IPU. She emphasized the need to strengthen the role of the organization as a leading platform for parliamentary diplomacy, promoting dialogue and strengthening democratic institutions on a global scale.

During the talks, key topics on the international agenda were discussed, including gender equality, support for women parliamentarians, protection of the rights of children, women, and disadvantaged people, as well as the importance of multilateral cooperation. Special emphasis was placed on the active participation of national parliaments in global governance processes, interaction with civil society, strengthening interparliamentary cooperation, and the exchange of good legislative practices within the framework of the IPU.

"Bulgaria and Greece are an axis of stability in Europe and, as neighbours, are developing joint projects in areas such as energy, transport, and sustainable regional development. Our good relations, common interests, and knowledge of the region's problems are a good basis for supporting the candidacy of Dionysia-Theodora Avgerinopoulou," Kirova said, quoted in the statement.

She noted the importance of the Inter-Parliamentary Union as a key international platform for dialogue, partnership, and solidarity between national parliaments, especially in the context of deepening global challenges, and expressed a positive attitude towards Avgerinopoulou's candidacy and readiness to support it, emphasizing the traditionally good relations, geopolitical connectivity, and common interests between the two countries.

The meeting passed in a spirit of constructive dialogue and confirmed the shared commitment to strengthening interparliamentary cooperation and the role of parliamentary diplomacy in today's increasingly complex and troubled world, the statement said.

The other candidates for the high post are Anda Philip, director of Member Parliaments and External Relations at the IPU since 2011 and an employee of the organization since 2003; Jung Sang-soo, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea from 1992 to 2022; Fatou Dieng Thiam from Senegal, who worked in the UN system from 2004 to 2023 and is currently in the Office of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region in Nairobi, Kenya; Cecilia Widegren, member of the Swedish Riksdag from 2002 to 2022, Vice-President of the IPU 2021–2022.

In October last year, Rositsa Kirova participated in the organization's autumn assembly in Geneva. "As parliamentarians, it is our duty to uphold the humanitarian principles enshrined in international law and to ensure that our political decisions protect the dignity of every human being, regardless of borders or beliefs," she said in her speech at the time.