Official visit of the Bulgaria-Armenia Friendship Group to Yerevan
27 January 2026 News
From January 23 to 26, 2026, the Bulgaria-Armenia Friendship Group of the 51st National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria paid an official visit to the Republic of Armenia. The delegation was led by the Deputy Chair of the Group and Chair of the Internal Security and Public Order Committee, Manoil Manev, with the participation of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Armenia, Nikola Nikolov.
During the visit, a series of meetings were held with representatives of Armenian institutions, aimed at strengthening interparliamentary cooperation and deepening bilateral dialogue in areas of mutual interest, including education, science, culture, sports, security, and economics, as well as the prospects for elevating bilateral relations to a strategic level.
During the meeting with the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, Zanna Andreasyan, the importance of close cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries for the development of friendly and partnership relations between Bulgaria and Armenia was emphasized. A willingness was expressed to expand joint initiatives and implement new programs in the areas under her responsibility, with an emphasis on the potential for developing cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, and sports.
The head of the Bulgarian delegation, Manoil Manev, emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation in higher education, culture, and sports, including through student exchanges, joint cultural programs, and the development of sports infrastructure. The possibility of holding Armenian Culture Days in Bulgaria and Bulgarian Culture Days in Armenia was also discussed.
The Bulgarian delegation also held a meeting with the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Hakob Arshakyan, and members of the Armenia-Bulgaria Friendship Group. Hakob Arshakyan highly appreciated the bilateral relations based on the traditional friendly, cultural, and historical ties between the two peoples and emphasized the role of parliamentary diplomacy in deepening bilateral cooperation. The Armenian side expressed its expectation that the proposed Declaration on upgrading relations to a strategic level would be signed as soon as possible. It was also noted that in May 2026, Yerevan will host the summit of the European Political Community, and in October – the UN Conference on Biological Diversity (COP17).
Manoil Manev emphasized the importance of active interaction between the two friendship groups as an effective mechanism for expanding bilateral relations and highlighted the prospects for deepening economic relations and cooperation between similar parliamentary committees. The need to resumption direct flights between Sofia and Yerevan to stimulate tourism, interpersonal contact and trade and economic relations was also discussed, as was the role of the Armenian community in Bulgaria in developing bilateral relations.
The Bulgarian delegation was also received by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Vahan Kostanyan, who emphasized the high intensity of bilateral cooperation and the existence of a political decision to raise it to a strategic level. The Armenian side identified the achievement of peace with Azerbaijan as a priority, as well as its interest in deepening cooperation with Bulgaria in the fields of economy, nuclear energy, and high technology.
The Bulgarian side expressed its readiness to provide assistance, including by sharing experience in the process of European integration and in the field of security. Possible areas of cooperation were outlined, including border control, the fight against terrorism and cross-border crime, countering hybrid threats, and the regulation of new technologies, including in the IT sector.