Speaker of Bulgaria’s Parliament Rossen Zhelyazkov met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev

The Speaker of Bulgaria’s Parliament, Rossen Zhelyazkov met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on February 7.

"Thank you very much for all the support you provide us - both military and humanitarian. Every support from Bulgaria is important for us and we will never forget it.

You saw for yourself how we live with the constant rocket attacks in the city. And you see how important it is for us to provide adequate protection to our citizens in the coldest months of the year, when the focus of attacks is Ukraine's energy security," Zelensky said before the one-on-one meeting with Rossen Zhelyazkov.

For his part, the Parliament Speaker reiterated Bulgaria’s support for the European and Euro-Atlantic future of Ukraine.

"Bulgaria has been providing military, humanitarian and political support to Ukraine from the very beginning and will continue to do so as long as necessary," he assured.

The Parliament Speaker reiterated that our country strongly condemns the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Bulgaria firmly rejects Russia's relentless terror and destruction of Ukraine's basic civilian infrastructure, he noted.

In his words, Russia should respect its international obligations and unconditionally and immediately withdraw all its forces and military equipment from the territory of Ukraine.

Bulgaria has declared its full support for President Zelensky's "Peace Formula" and unconditionally supports the guiding principle that Ukraine alone has the sovereign right to determine when and how to engage in negotiations with the aggressor, the Parliament Speaker said.

He stressed that this principle is the best guarantee for the future peace we all seek, which will strengthen European and global security based on the rules of the international order. It is vital to unite our efforts to respect the principles of the UN Charter on non-aggression and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all states, Rossen Zhelyazkov said.

Bulgaria is among the strongest and most active supporters of Ukraine's European integration and its Euro-Atlantic perspective, Rossen Zhelyazkov stressed.

Our country welcomes the European Council's decision to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, he said, adding that this is a geopolitical choice that has our full support.

"We are convinced that Ukraine belongs to the European family," Rossen Zhelyazkov said.

According to him, Ukraine's future is at the core of the European security architecture and within NATO. An independent and sovereign Ukraine is key to Euro-Atlantic security, Rossen Zhelyazkov believes. He expressed Bulgaria's satisfaction with the signing of the Joint Declaration on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration.

Bulgaria is deeply concerned about the unprecedented military actions of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea region and, in particular, about the growing militarisation of the Crimean peninsula, the Parliament Speaker said. Bulgaria does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea, he added.

Rossen Zhelyazkov recalled that on 11 January 2024 in Istanbul a Tripartite Memorandum was signed between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey on the establishment of a joint mine countermeasures task force (MCM Black Sea), which mission is intended solely for humanitarian purposes and to counter the threat of sea mines in the Black Sea, thus contributing to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.

Speaker of Bulgaria's Parliament in Ukraine: We are committed to strategic assistance to Kiev