National Assembly speaker Mihaela Dotsova discussed Black Sea security, connectivity and ties between the two parliaments in Rome with Lorenzo Fontana, president of Italy's Chamber of Deputies, the parliament's press office said. The talks took place at the European Conference of Speakers of Parliament of the Council of Europe member states.
Dotsova will be in Rome on 15 and 16 October for the conference. She is also due to hold bilateral meetings there with other parliament speakers. This story updates our earlier report.
Dotsova voiced concern about attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. She said a joint solution is needed to keep shipping safe.
Stability in the region is vital for Europe, so solidarity and shared responsibility are needed, she said.
Speaking for the National Assembly, Dotsova said parliament wants bilateral dialogue and cooperation to grow in all areas and to support the work between the governments.
She told Fontana that the National Assembly already has a Friendship Group with Italy, with MPs from all parliamentary groups. "I am sure the Group will help deepen ties between our parliaments and our dynamic and fruitful cooperation in all fields," Dotsova said.
She said that besides economic ties, links in education and culture should also grow. Italian is taught in more than 50 schools in Bulgaria.
Fontana described relations between the two countries as excellent and said he backed their development.
Earlier in the day, Dotsova also met Annita Demetriou, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, at the forum.