During an official visit to Baku, Speaker of the National Assembly Natalia Kiselova underscored the importance of the political dialogue between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, describing it as dynamic and constructive. She was received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and led the Bulgarian parliamentary delegation attending the 65th General Assembly of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC), which is being hosted in the Azerbaijani capital.

Kiselova expressed appreciation for the opportunity to engage directly with President Aliyev and emphasized the significance of regular dialogue at all levels, which, in her view, enables the discussion of bilateral matters as well as the exchange of perspectives on pressing regional and international developments.

The Bulgarian speaker pointed to the 2015 Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan as a solid foundation for growing cooperation. She noted that the more recent 2024 Declaration on Strengthening the Partnership builds upon this framework by prioritizing energy and connectivity, while also opening the door for progress in other fields where collaboration is still in the early stages.

Azerbaijan’s role as a reliable energy partner was a central theme in her remarks. Kiselova highlighted Azerbaijan’s contribution to diversifying Bulgaria’s - and more broadly, Europe’s - natural gas supply, framing this cooperation as essential amid the current geopolitical shifts. She described energy collaboration not only as a bilateral priority but also as a crucial part of ensuring Europe’s energy security and achieving greater independence through diversification. In this respect, Azerbaijan, she said, emerges as a vital source of regional stability, especially in a time marked by conflicts to both its north and south.

The Bulgarian delegation to PABSEC includes Petar Kanev, head of the National Assembly’s delegation to the assembly, and Kiril Dobrev, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Transport and Communications and a member of the Bulgaria-Azerbaijan friendship group.

As part of the visit to Baku, Speaker Kiselova formally accepted the rotating chairmanship of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation on behalf of the Bulgarian Parliament. The new leadership begins on July 1 and will last six months.

Kiselova announced that Bulgaria is committed to actively contributing to the PABSEC’s mission despite the current turbulent geopolitical context. She outlined several priorities for the Bulgarian chairmanship, including enhancing interparliamentary cooperation, fostering sustainability, promoting cultural exchange, improving crisis response mechanisms, and expanding international partnerships.

Environmental protection, regional sustainability, and deeper collaboration beyond the Black Sea region will be at the heart of Bulgaria’s planned initiatives, Kiselova said. She underlined the importance of good neighborly relations and collective effort in strengthening regional ties at a time when cooperation is more crucial than ever.

She also praised PABSEC’s ongoing work in building trust and stability among the 12 participating countries and voiced confidence that Bulgaria’s leadership would be both productive and unifying. In her remarks, she extended an invitation to all member states to attend the 66th General Assembly session, scheduled for November in Sofia.

Kiselova thanked Azerbaijan for its work as the outgoing chair and for organizing the current session in Baku.