Paris, 14 - 15 February

National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski paid a visit to France on 14 and 15 February on the occasion of the celebrations marking the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union.

Bulgaria's and Romania's accession to the European Union was solemnly marked at the Senate of France on 15 February 2007.

The Bulgarian parliamentary delegation also included National Assembly Deputy Chairperson Anastasia Moser and European Integration Committee Chairman Atanas Paparizov.

In Paris National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski conferred with the President of the Senate of France Christian Poncelet, the Vice-President of the National Assembly of France Yves Bur, the Head of the France-Bulgaria Friendship Group of the Senate of France Jean-Francois Picheral and the Head of the France-Bulgaria Friendship Group of the National Assembly of France Germinal Peiro.

The Bulgarian parliamentary delegation also met with the Head of the Delegation for the European Union of the Senate of France Hubert Haenel, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee of the Senate of France Serge Vinçon. In Paris the Bulgarian parliamentarians visited the Economic and Social Council of France.

On the occasion of Bulgaria's full-fledged EU membership and for their personal contribution to and support for the country's accession to the EU, National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski decorated with honorary plaquettes the President of the Senate of France Christian Poncelet, the President of the National Assembly of France Jean-Louis Debré, the Head of the Delegation for the European Union of the Senate of France Hubert Haenel, the Head of the France-Bulgaria Friendship Group of the Senate of France Jean-Francois Picheral, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee of the Senate of France Serge Vinçon, the Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee of the Senate of France and Rapporteur for Bulgaria Jacques Blanc, the Rapporteur for Bulgaria and Secretary of the Delegation for the European Union of the Senate of France Aymeri de Montesquiou, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of France Édouard Balladur and other French parliamentarians.