On May 19, 2026, a delegation from the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Lesia Vaolevska, Andrii Vitrenko, Anna Kondratova, Tetiana Druzhchenko, Petro Levchuk, and Oleh Zadorozhnyi) began a study visit to countries of the Balkan region and Southeast Europe.
The visit is supported by the “INTER PARES | Parliaments in Partnership” Project and the EU Program to Support Ukraine’s European Integration (Ukraine2EU) as part of the initiative “Strengthening the Capacity of the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to Ensure the Adaptation of National Legislation to EU Law.” The program involves familiarization with the parliamentary practices of Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, and Romania.
The first stage was a visit to the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria in Sofia. Representatives of the Research Service held a working meeting with Ms. Teodora Angelova, Director of the Library, Information, and Research Center, and experts from the Bulgarian parliamentary administration.
Key topics of the institutional exchange:
Parliamentary analytics: the structure and functions of the National Assembly Administration, as well as the role of the research center in ensuring the legislative process quality.
Oversight function: specific features of parliamentary oversight in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Bulgaria.
Professional development: approaches to organizing systematic training for elected representatives and parliamentary staff.
Digital solutions for European integration: presentation of the specialized module “European Union Issues” in the National Assembly’s Integrated Information System, created to handle EU documents in the context of the country’s EU membership.
During the meeting, representatives of the Research Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also presented their own developments, analytical support tools for the Ukrainian parliament, and the specifics of work in the context of European integration processes to their colleagues.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to deepen professional cooperation, continue the practical experience exchange, and expand institutional dialogue between the analytical services of both parliaments.
Stay tuned for our updates—upcoming meetings in the parliaments of Greece, Albania, North Macedonia, and Romania!
