European countries must act together on Black Sea security and agree to make the region a zone of shared security, National Assembly speaker Mihaela Dotsova said in Rome, according to the parliament's press office. She said Bulgaria strongly condemns attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea.

This story follows our earlier report on Dotsova's meeting with Lorenzo Fontana, president of Italy's Chamber of Deputies. They discussed Black Sea security, connectivity and dialogue between the two parliaments.

Dotsova spoke at the European Conference of Speakers of Parliament of the Council of Europe member states, held in Rome on October 15 and 16. Her topic was "Renewing the international rules-based order: the role of parliaments in tackling and responding to modern crises". The forum's two other topics are "Resilient democracies: united against hybrid threats" and "Artificial intelligence and the labour market".

Security in the Black Sea region is vital for the stability of all Europe, Dotsova said. She said the shared and urgent task is to protect peace, the free movement of goods and food security, and above all the lives of civilian crews who face real danger every day.

Cooperation and solidarity between countries must come first now, she said. In her view, the surest guarantee is an immediate ceasefire and every political and diplomatic effort for peace.

Europe and the world are caught in an unprecedented spiral of crises: financial, economic, social and refugee. Dotsova linked them to rising migration, the pandemic, Russia's continuing aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and many other parts of the world. The crises test respect for basic human rights and the democratic principles of modern societies.

One of the main roles of parliaments today is to make sure the international rules-based order is followed, she said. Dotsova called for the principles of the 1945 UN Charter to be defended more than ever. The Charter calls for saving future generations from the scourge of war. She recalled that, according to the Charter, war has twice brought untold sorrow to humanity.

Parliaments ratify the agreements the international order rests on, so their role at home and above all in international relations cannot be replaced, Dotsova said. In her view, national parliaments in the Council of Europe, including Bulgaria's, must not only follow but also promote the principles of democracy, unity and solidarity, which are essential for order among member states.

Finally, Dotsova spoke about artificial intelligence, which is already used in government, in the military and in daily life. High technology is developing at lightning speed and offers unexpected opportunities, but it also brings new challenges, she said. National parliaments must respond to crises in time and pass laws that protect human rights.