27 May 2008

National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski met on May 27th, 2008 Valery Giscard D’Estaing, former president of the French Republic and former president of the Convent for the future of Europe. The meeting was also attended by the deputy speakers prof. Luben Kornezov, Kamelia Kasabova, Unal Lutvi and Anastassia Mozer and the chairs of the Committees on Foreign and European Affairs Solomon Passy and Mladen Cherveniakov.

The National Assembly Speaker welcomed the guest and stressed that the visit was giving opportunity to get to know the competent assessment of Mr. Giscard D’Estaing of the current development of the European Union and the prospects for a “new spring for the Union”

Valery D’Estaing underscored that the Constitution with a few amendments has become the Treaty of Lisbon. The latter increases the role of national parliaments for the first time. The new constitution, notably the Treaty of Lisbon gives all members equal rights. The guest pointed to the important role of Bulgaria as a member of the European Union and added that the Union may not differentiate between its member countries.

Bulgaria is one of the last two countries accepted in the European Union and has yet some unresolved problems to tackle, said Valery D’Estaing. He noticed that Bulgarian statesmen are actively involved and that public opinion should be mobilized as well.

Georgi Pirinski underscored that Bulgaria examines very seriously the criticism from the European institutions taking into consideration its rights and responsibilities as a full member and that problems might be solved with the help of the union.

He also stated that the success reached by the country should be evaluated without bias. He stressed that Bulgaria contributes to the main values of the European Union by supporting the peace and stability in the region, the social and economic development and by reforming the way of state governance .