The vice-president of the National Assembly and chairman of the Committee on Internal Security and Public Order Mr. Anastas Anastasov has met the delegation of the Landtag of the German Province of Bavaria, led by the president of the parliamentary Control Council Manfred Weiss. The talks were attended by the chairwoman of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds Monika Panayotova, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense Dobroslav Dimitrov and by Dimitar Chukarski – member of the parliamentary Subcommittee on Control of the National Intelligence Service, the National Protection Service and the Department for Military Information in the Ministry of Defense.

Key subjects at the talks were the support of the Bavarian parliament for the access of Bulgaria in the Shengen area and the scrutiny of the National Assembly over Bulgaria’s  intelligence services.

The president of the parliamentary Control Council in the parliament of Bavaria Manfred Weiss underscored that Bulgaria could count on their support, as well as the support of Germany for Shengen and added that Bavaria and Bulgaria have had traditionally good and friendly relations, which the German side was willing to further enhance and enlarge.

The vice-president of the Bulgarian parliament expressed gratitude for the support of Bavaria and for the fruitful meetings held during the recent visit of the Bulgarian parliamentary delegation in the German province. Anastas Anastasov has acquainted the guests with the activities of the parliamentary Committee on Control of the State Agency for National Security and the Subcommittee on Control of the National Intelligence Service, the National Protection Service and the Department for Military Information in the Ministry of Defense, committees created during the mandate of the 41st National Assembly. He noted that the committees have proven their usefulness and have shown good results.

He informed the guests with the adopted by the National Assembly of Bulgaria National Strategy for Security and on the forthcoming debate on the draft bills regarding the Military and National Intelligence Services.

On his behalf Mr. Manfred Weiss acquainted the Bulgarian side with the functions of his committee (council) in the Bavarian Landtag. He explained that the Council, presided by him, is in charge with constitutional protection, oversight of the counterintelligence and intelligence services and the fight against terrorism. He added that recently the Landtag has adopted a new law extending the authority and the control powers of the parliament over the above services. 

Both the vice-president of the National Assembly of Bulgaria and the president of the Control Council in Bavaria’s parliament agreed that the mutual contacts between the two parliaments, on a very high level so far, should continue to extend, to include the parliamentary committees.