site.btaBulgarian Parliament Chair: Ukraine's European Path Serves the Interests of Ukrainian People and EU

Ukraine's European path is a choice that serves the interests of both the Ukrainian people and the European Union, said National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan during the plenary session of the Fourth Parliamentary Summit of the Crimea Platform in Stockholm, Sweden on Monday, according to the National Assembly press centre.

Nazaryan emphasized that a stable, independent and democratic Ukraine is an important factor for the security and prosperity of Europe. She added that Bulgaria remains committed to working with its partners within the European Union (EU) and NATO to ensure that any future agreement with Ukraine is sustainable and respected in good faith, and that Ukraine receives security guarantees. 

Nazaryan stated that the Ukrainian people have the sovereign right to determine their own future and direction of development, as well as to make decisions on the nature of any proposed peace agreement and its impact on the future of Ukrainian citizens. She stressed that she welcomes the renewed efforts of the United States, and of President Donald Trump personally, in seeking a way to end the hostilities in Ukraine. 

She also said that Russia's occupation and annexation of parts of internationally recognized Ukrainian territories is a serious violation of international law. In her words, the return of these territories is not only a matter of legal order and international legal principle, but also of justice.

The Speaker of Parliament noted that it is now the fourth year of Russia's illegal, unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine. "We will not forget, and we will continue to emphasize that the war did not start on 24 February 2022, but has its roots in the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014" she was quoted in the statement as saying. 

The Speaker of the National Assembly said that Bulgaria is a reliable and active partner in the International Crimea Platform. The country participates in parliamentary meetings and contributes to initiatives aimed at security in the Black Sea region. This includes the Sofia forum in 2024, which brought together representatives of 42 countries and eight international organizations. She noted that restoring the war-affected areas is now an urgent priority and a strategic necessity. 

Nazaryan also sent a message to the people of Ukraine: "In these difficult times, you are not alone. Bulgaria stands by you — in your trials, in your quest for peace, and in your hope for a freer, more dignified and more secure future".

Since the platform's creation in 2021, Bulgaria has participated in the annual high-level meetings of the Crimea Platform. Among the participants in the forum are more than 40 government leaders and parliamentary representatives, including the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Roberts Zile, the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Tulia Ackson, the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pere Joan Pons Sampietro and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Theodoros Roussopoulos.