site.btaBulgaria, France Reaffirm Strategic Partnership at Geneva Parliamentary Forum

At the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva, National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova met with French Senate Vice President and France-Bulgaria Friendship Group President Loic Herve, Parliament said in a press release on Wednesday. The forum is organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the United Nations, and the Parliament of the Swiss Confederation.

Bulgaria and France enjoy an excellent partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, and in 2024 the two countries celebrated 145 years since the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, Kiselova told Herve. "The two countries cooperate within the EU, NATO, and a number of other international forums and in areas of mutual interest," she added, recalling that in 2023, Bulgaria marked the 30th anniversary of becoming a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

Kiselova expressed confidence that dialogue between parliaments could contribute to better coordination in defending the similar views of the two countries, and that parliamentary friendship groups are an effective tool for deepening cooperation.

The National Assembly Chair voiced gratitude for France's consistent support for Bulgaria's full membership in the Schengen area, as well as for the country's key role, within the framework of the so-called French proposal, in securing a common compromise reflected in the EU’s 2022 negotiating framework for the Republic of North Macedonia.

At the beginning of 2023, the two countries became part of the French-initiated pro-nuclear alliance, established to support projects in the field of nuclear energy, the National Assembly Chair added. "In this context, nuclear energy is a key topic on the bilateral agenda because this sector plays an important role in ensuring national, regional, and European energy security, and, last but not least, provides energy at affordable and predictable prices," Kiselova said.

Senator Loic Herve expressed satisfaction with the excellent long-standing bilateral relations between Bulgaria and France, and the ongoing dialogue at the level of parliaments and friendship groups. He said he hoped that the successful visit of the largest French business delegation to Bulgaria, led by MEDEF 35 employers’ organization, in October 2023, gave new impetus to cooperation in the economic field.