President Rumen Radev: Achieving peace in the region is crucial for economic cooperation in the Black Sea

Achieving peace in the region is key to connectivity and multilateral economic cooperation in the Black Sea, stated President Rumen Radev during a meeting at the Presidency with Asaf Hadjiev, the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), who is visiting Bulgaria. PABSEC is the parliamentary dimension of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, one of the founding members of which is Bulgaria.

Rumen Radev and Asaf Hadjiev highlighted the strategic importance of the Black Sea as a bridge between Europe and Asia for the development of transport and energy connectivity. In this context, the President emphasised Bulgaria's role as a reliable factor for diversification of sources and routes for the transmission of energy resources, through the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector.

They also discussed the prospects for the implementation of other energy projects in the region that would contribute to deepening connectivity.

Photos by Presidency

The Secretary General of PABSEC highly appreciated Bulgaria's role as an active member of the Assembly and for its contribution to fulfilling common priorities. The conversation also touched on the Bulgarian Parliament taking the rotating chairmanship of PABSEC for the period of July-December this year.

The meeting was attended by Petar Kanev, a member of the National Assembly delegation to PABSEC and Deputy Chairman of the Assembly on financial matters, and Pavlina Lozanova, Secretary of the Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation of PABSEC.