During his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway, Jan Peterson, National Assembly President Gerdjikov said that Bulgaria needs to intensify the bilateral relations with Norway and he considered the Norwegian Foreign Minister’s visit as a start of this process.

The President of the National Assembly expressed his gratitude that Norway was one of the first member states that ratified the NATO accession protocols for Bulgaria and other six invitees. On the Bulgarian Parliament’s agenda is the Ratification Bill of the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 and Bulgaria hopes to be a full NATO member at the Istanbul Summit, he added.

Ognian Gerdjikov and Jan Peterson discussed the Alliance’s role in the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. National Assembly President Gerdjikov declared that Bulgaria would strictly continue to implement its commitments in Iraq, despite the dear victims on the New Year’s Eve.

The two shared the opinion that the economic relations between Bulgaria and Norway should be enhanced. These political contacts could be a good example for business circles, Mr. Peterson added.