Islamabad, July 8,2026: A meeting of the Pakistan-Bulgaria Parliamentary Friendship Group was held at Parliament House on Wednesday, with participants reaffirming their commitment to further strengthen bilateral parliamentary, economic, cultural and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting was convened by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, convener of the Pakistan-Bulgaria Parliamentary Friendship Group. Advisor to the Chairman Senate and Ambassador of the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference (ISC) Misbah Khar, Secretary Senate Syed Hasnain Haider, the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Pakistan and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also attended the session.
Welcoming the participants, Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman highlighted the longstanding and cordial relations between Pakistan and Bulgaria and stressed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in expanding cooperation across diverse sectors. He said there was immense potential to enhance bilateral collaboration in trade, investment, education, information technology, agriculture, renewable energy, tourism, healthcare and cultural exchanges.
He noted that stronger parliamentary engagement would complement the growing diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries and called for regular exchanges of parliamentary delegations, sharing of legislative best practices and closer coordination between parliamentary committees to promote mutual understanding and institutional cooperation.
The Bulgarian ambassador appreciated the hospitality extended by the Parliament of Pakistan and expressed satisfaction over the constructive dialogue between the two sides. He said Bulgaria valued its friendly relations with Pakistan and looked forward to expanding cooperation in areas of shared interest, while also commending the efforts of the Pakistan-Bulgaria Parliamentary Friendship Group in promoting closer ties and greater understanding.
Misbah Khar emphasized the role of parliamentary friendship groups in fostering people-to-people contacts and strengthening inter-parliamentary dialogue. She highlighted the importance of women’s leadership and youth engagement in advancing bilateral relations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Bulgaria through sustained parliamentary interaction.
She also proposed exploring the possibility of signing a memorandum of understanding between the two parliamentary friendship groups to institutionalize future collaboration. Referring to the Inter-Parliamentary Speakers’ Conference, she praised Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani’s vision for strengthening parliamentary diplomacy through friendship groups and appreciated the conference’s theme of “Peace, Security and Development”.
Secretary Senate Syed Hasnain Haider said the Senate Secretariat remained committed to facilitating stronger institutional linkages between the parliaments of Pakistan and Bulgaria. He stressed the importance of knowledge sharing, capacity-building initiatives and enhanced cooperation between parliamentary secretariats to support effective legislative processes.
During the meeting, participants discussed opportunities to expand bilateral trade, encourage business-to-business contacts, promote academic and research partnerships, and strengthen cooperation in culture, heritage preservation, climate resilience and sustainable development. They also underlined the need to enhance collaboration in digital innovation, vocational education and tourism promotion.
Both sides agreed to further strengthen parliamentary relations through regular exchanges, joint initiatives and enhanced institutional cooperation. It was decided that the parliamentary friendship groups would work towards developing a comprehensive roadmap to promote collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including education, economic development, cultural diplomacy, innovation and parliamentary capacity building.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the shared commitment of Pakistan and Bulgaria to deepen bilateral relations through active parliamentary engagement, mutual respect and sustained cooperation in support of regional peace, prosperity and sustainable development.
