September 15, 2008

National Assembly Chairman Georgi Pirinski and Latvian Saeima (Parliament) Speaker Gundars Daudze discussed cooperation between Bulgaria and Latvia in NATO and the EU, as well as in the energy sector.

Daudze is leading a Latvian parliamentary delegation on a two-day official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of Georgi Pirinski.

The National Assembly Chairman noted the need to intensify the contacts between the two parliaments and expressed his conviction that Daudze's visit here will catalyze this process.
"Bulgaria is facing the challenges to maintain an accelerated economic development, to address social problems and to assert the functioning of the rule of law," Pirinski said. "At the same time, the country is seeking to make its own contribution to regional stability," he stressed.

Pirinski familiarized his guests with the National Assembly's law-making programme. "The Energy Efficiency Bill is intended to cut energy consumption in Bulgaria by 9 per cent," he
specified.

"The level of two-way trade is indicative of future possibilities rather than of achievements," the National Assembly Chairman stressed.

Daudze also noted the huge underutilized potential for bilateral cooperation. He noted that Bulgaria is becoming an ever more attractive destination for Latvian tourists.

Latvia supports the formation of a common European policy in respect of energy imports and would like the European Union to take concerted action in this sphere, the Saeima Speaker said.
He noted that Latvia does not oppose the use of old nuclear capacities, as long as the countries which insist on it present sufficiently well reasoned observations.

Replying to a question by his Latvian counterpart, Pirinski said that for Bulgaria the issue of Georgia is exceedinglyimportant, serious and topically relevant, and that the Bulgarian public is of the opinion that the European Union must adopt a clear position to facilitate the appeasement of the region and the taking of steps for its stabilization.

The meeting was attended by deputy chaipersons prof. Luben Kornezov and Anastassia Mozer, by the chairman of the parliamentary friendship group Bulgaria - Latvia, Zahary Georgiev and the deputy chairman of the group Metin Suleimanov.


The delegation is scheduled to visit Plovdiv, where the Latvian parliamentarians will tour the Old Town and will confer with Plovdiv Regional Governor Todor Petkov.

On Tuesday, the Speaker of the Latvian Saeima will confer with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivailo Kalfin, with the members of the National Assembly Energy and Foreign Policy Committees, with President Georgi Purvanov, and with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev.