Kazakhstan is an important partner of Bulgaria and we would like to develop a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership, focused on economic cooperation, the chair of the National Assembly, Tsetska Tsacheva has stated at her meeting with the chairman of Kazakhstan’s Majilis (the lower House of the bicameral parliament of Kazakhstan), Kabibulla Dzhakupov. “There are no open, unresolved issues between the two countries, but there are untapped possibilities and prospects for widening and deepening of the relations”, she added.

A Bulgarian parliamentary delegation, led by the chairperson of the National Assembly is on its first official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Tsetska Tsacheva has thanked for the invitation and pointed out that the visit takes place in a year important for Kazakhstan, namely the 20th anniversary since the adoption of the country’s Constitution, the 20th anniversary since the establishment of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and the 550th anniversary since the establishment of the Kazakh Khanate.

The chair of Bulgaria’s parliament has noted the closeness and similarity of the two peoples and added it is very important to pay attention to the existing and future economic relations. Tsetska Tsacheva has pointed out that Bulgarian agricultural, alimentary and pharmaceutical products could reach the market of Kazakhstan. The construction and tourist business are considered also among the fields of mutual interest.

In 2014 around 10 thousand Kazakh citizens have visited the Bulgarian resorts on the Black Sea. The existing charter flights program between Almaty and Astana and the city of Burgas have contributed to these tourist visits and stressed the signing of an agreement for air travel between the two countries is very important. Tsetska Tsacheva underscored that Bulgaria presents wonderful opportunities for sea, winter, spa and cultural tourism, as well as offers excellent conditions for foreign investments.

The chairman of Kazakhstan’s Majilis, Kabibulla Dzhakupov welcomed the Bulgarian parliamentary delegation. He informed the delegation about the five important goals that the state of Kazakhstan and its people have set up for the future: the formation of a contemporary, professional state administration, an accessible judicial system, economic growth and industrialization. The realization of these tasks will be implemented through the “100 concrete steps -Plan of the Nation” and the parliament of Kazakhstan is currently working on the adoption of the necessary laws.

The two parliamentary heads have signed a Memorandum for Cooperation between the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Majilis of the parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. With the document the parliaments of the two countries undertake to contribute to the development, , of the political, trade, economic, scientific, technical, socio-cultural, humanitarian and other fields of mutual interest between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan. The document also notes that the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Majilis of the parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan attribute great importance to the development of the traditional relations of friendship and mutual understanding between Bulgaria and Kazakhstan, based on the principles of trust and respect for the rights and interests of their states and peoples.

The parliaments have agreed to develop the inter-parliamentary cooperation, to expand the legal contractual basis of the bilateral partnership, to cooperate in the establishment of permanent relations between the parliamentary committees and groups of the two countries, to exchange knowledge about their parliamentary activities, as well as to contribute to the expansion of the multilateral cooperation between parliaments.

The parliamentary delegation of Bulgaria included the following MPs – Daniela Daritkova, chairperson of the Healthcare committee and of the parliamentary friendship group Bulgaria-Kazakhstan; Vasil Antonov – deputy chairman of the Religious Denominations and Human Rights committee and member of the friendship group Bulgaria-Kazakhstan; Chetin Kazak – deputy chairman of the Legal Affairs committee and member of the friendship group  Bulgaria-Kazakhstan; Borislav Milanov, deputy chairman of the Culture and Media committee and member of the friendship group  Bulgaria-Kazakhstan; Boris Yachev – deputy chairman of the Environment and Waters committee and member of the friendship group  Bulgaria-Kazakhstan.