site.btaParliament Chair Confers with PACE Leader, Hopes for Closure of Post-monitoring Dialogue

Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Nataliya Kiselova conferred here on Friday with Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President Theodoros Rousopoulos, the National Assembly said in a press release. Rousopoulos is on a working visit to Bulgaria and met with Bulgarian MPs who are part of PACE. 

In March 2024, the PACE Monitoring Committee proposed closing the post-monitoring procedure for Bulgaria because of improvement in rule of law, democracy and human rights.

Bulgaria hopes the Committee members will accept the recommendation in 2025, said Kiselova. "I believe that during your visit in Bulgaria, you will gather enough arguments in support of closing the post-monitoring dialogue with Bulgaria," noted the National Assembly Chair.

Kiselova added further: "The Government is working towards complying with the PACE recommendations and continues to adopt anti-corruption measures, measures to ensure freedom of speech, protect journalists, and combat violence against women and hate speech. I am confident that the closing of the post-monitoring dialogue will motivate Bulgaria to further improve its record on other pending issues, such as implementing the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, cooperation with the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), and the situation of minority groups."

She mentioned that the representatives of the National Assembly, the Executive, and the experts in varoius state institutions have been working on the recommendations for several years now, and progress is noticeable. 

Rousopoulos noted that Bulgaria has contributed significantly to the closing of the post-monitoring dialogue with PACE. The co-rapporteurs for Bulgaria, who are monitoring progress on the PACE recommendations, are expected to visit the country in July. After their report, discussions on the closing of the post-monitoring dialogue can begin, said the guest.