November 6, 2008

In his opening address to the 21st European Regional Assembly of the Parliamentary Francophone Assembly, the Bulgarian National Assembly Chairman, Georgi Pirinski stated that the global financial crisis requires the search of adequate responses. In his view they could be found with the concerted efforts and the friendly and good will spirit of the francophone countries. The International forum themed “Development of regional connections in enlarged Europe: new perspectives for the francophone cooperation aimed at a stronger and confident Europe”, opened in Sofia on November 6, 2008.

In his address, Chairman Pirinski stressed that after Bulgaria has reached its two essential priorities, the membership in the European Union and NATO, the country was currently more and more involved with the work for the same future for South East Europe. He mentioned that Bulgaria was taking part in such regional initiatives as the Process for Cooperation in South East Europe, an initiative launched in the Balkans as an expression of the common will of the countries in the region, to reach a new level in their mutual relations and to make it a starting point for their integration into the European and Euro- Atlantic structures.

Mr. Pirinski emphasized that Bulgaria plays host of the Regional Parliamentary Secretariat in South East Europe, an organization working on further cooperation of parliaments in the region. In his view, the creation of this forum gives a clear signal that the Balkan countries are ready to take in their own hands the agenda and the initiatives for their cooperation. He added that the Parliamentary Secretariat is eventually going to transform itself into regional assembly and when the moment comes the countries in the region could benefit from the experience of the parliamentary assembly of Francophone countries
At the opening of the forum, Georgi Pirinski was awarded with the Order of the Francophonie, a distinction of the Parliamentary Assembly of Francophonie. The award is given for contributions to the popularization of the francophonie and the intercultural dialogue and friendship between the francophone countries.

Georgi Pirinski said before media representatives that the award is recognition for Bulgaria, for its contributions to this movement and to its development as a contemporary European country. It is also acknowledgment, he said, of the fact that Bulgaria had a rich culture which had a lot in common with the French culture and civilization and for the active role it was playing in the development of the common European values.

During the first day, the participants discussed the role of the Francophonie in the international relations. The Bulgarian political scientist Antony Todorov delivered a lecture on the importance of South East Europe countries’ membership in the International Organization of the Francophonie for their national and European identities.

The discussions of the forum will be divided in two main panels. The first will concentrate on the ties between the francophone world as a geopolitical entity and the regions. The Bulgarian participant Illiana Yotova will express the support of the new EU member countries for the Francophonie in the European parliament. The second panel will discuss the regional cooperation within the European Union and the EU cooperation with outside regions.
Mr. Ivan Ivanov, member of the Bulgarian parliament and member of the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe will present a summary on the initiative of the European Council for the creation of the European Black Sea Region.