site.btaParliament Chair Dotsova, Baden-Württemberg Landtag President Strobl Discuss Closer Parliamentary, Economic Cooperation

The strengthening of parliamentary contacts and economic cooperation was the focus of talks between Parliament Chair Mihaela Dotsova and the President of the Landtag of the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Thomas Strobl, Parliament's press centre said on Friday.

Germany is an important partner for Bulgaria, and the country seeks to strengthen bilateral as well as multilateral ties, Dotsova said. Bulgaria attaches particular importance to expanding economic cooperation with Germany, especially in the fields of defence and security, energy and innovation, she added. Dotsova also expressed the National Assembly's interest in intensifying dialogue with the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg through contacts between parliamentary leaders, committees and friendship groups.

The National Assembly Chair also expressed readiness to discuss the possibility of reviving the Conference of Danube Parliamentarians, a forum bringing together the speakers of parliament from the countries of the Danube region. Such a format would help strengthen parliamentary support for the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and promote regional cooperation, she said.

The two sides agreed that economic ties between Bulgaria and Baden-Württemberg have traditionally been very strong, are based on mutually beneficial cooperation across a range of sectors, and offer significant potential for further development.

Strobl expressed hope that the meeting would mark the beginning of intensive parliamentary-level contacts that would further strengthen bilateral relations. He noted that he had attended the official presentation of Bulgaria's new honorary consul in Stuttgart at the end of last month and said he looked forward to working to further deepen ties between Bulgaria and Baden-Württemberg.

The meeting was also attended by Foreign Policy Committee Chair Petar Vitanov, Emine Gyulestan, Deputy Chair of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of European Funds, and Germany's Ambassador to Bulgaria, Irene Plank.