Parliament Speaker Raya Nazaryan and Acting U.S. Ambassador H. Martin McDowelll Pledge to Strengthen Bulgaria–U.S. Cooperation

Parliament Speaker Raya Nazaryan held talks with the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, H. Martin McDowell, the parliamentary press office reported on March 18. The meeting, requested by the American side, focused on key areas and achievements in the strategic partnership between Bulgaria and the United States, with both sides expressing readiness to further enhance cooperation on priority bilateral issues.

“I am confident that even after Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections, our country will continue to pursue the upward trend in strategic cooperation with the United States,” Raya Nazaryan said. She expressed assurance that Bulgaria will make every effort to advance key issues and strengthen engagement across all areas of the shared agenda.

photos by National Assembly

“For Bulgaria, enhanced cooperation with the United States is of particular importance in the fields of new technologies and innovation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, connectivity, people-to-people exchanges, as well as strengthening security in the Black Sea region and NATO’s Eastern Flank, and in close collaboration on Western Balkans initiatives,” the Speaker of Parliament stressed.

She also noted that Bulgaria’s inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program has long been a national priority, enjoying broad public and political consensus. “As a result of consistent and targeted efforts by Bulgarian institutions, in close and constructive cooperation with our U.S. partners, the country has achieved sustainable and clearly measurable progress in meeting the membership requirements,” Raya Nazaryan said. “These achievements give us reason to expect positive developments on this matter in the near future,” the Parliament Speaker added.