Cyprus and Bulgaria could contribute decisively to addressing the challenges of the wider region, due to their proximity, common experience and better understanding of the problems, President of the House of Representatives Demetris Syllouris and President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev agreed in a meeting on Tuesday, in Nicosia.

A press release issued from the Parliament said that Syllouris praised the high level of bilateral relations between the two countries, while noting that the relations between their parliaments could be further upgraded and co-ordination of their positions in the context of their joint participation in the European Union could be improved.

He also stressed that bilateral cooperation could be extended to other areas of common interest.

The President of the House of Representatives thanked Radev for his country’s support and solidarity to the people of Cyprus after the Turkish invasion of 1974.

President Radev expressed his gratitude to the Parliament of Cyprus for being among the first EU parliaments to ratify Bulgaria’s Accession Treaty to the EU and for passing a legislation not restricting Bulgarian workers’ access to the Cypriot labour market.

Radev referred to his country’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, in the first half of 2018. He also noted Cyprus’s stabilizing role in the region.

Syllouris and Radev expressed their conviction that Cyprus and Bulgaria could make a catalytic contribution to addressing the challenges in the wider region, due to their proximity, experience and better understanding of its problems, the press release concluded.