Parliament speaker Mihaela Dotsova called in Rome for joint European action on security in the Black Sea, the parliament's press office said. She asked for a consensus that the sea should become a zone of shared security. See our original report: Speaker Dotsova to attend parliament speakers' conference in Rome.

Dotsova spoke at the European Conference of Speakers of Parliament of the Council of Europe member states, held on 15 and 16 October. Her theme is "Renewing the international rules-based order: the role of parliaments in tackling and responding to modern crises".

Bulgaria strongly condemns attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea, she said. Dotsova said security in the region is critical for stability across Europe. She said the shared and urgent task is to protect peace, the free movement of goods and food security, and above all the lives of civilian crews, who face real risk every day.

Security in Europe needs cooperation and solidarity among all, she said. The strongest guarantees are an immediate ceasefire and every political and diplomatic means to reach peace.

Europe and the world are going through an unprecedented spiral of crises: financial, economic, social and refugee, Dotsova said. She linked them to rising migration, the pandemic, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and other parts of the world. She said the crises put respect for basic human rights and democratic principles to the test.

That is why one of the main tasks of parliaments today is to make sure the rules-based international order is respected, she said. They ratify the agreements that guarantee it, which makes them decisive and irreplaceable, nationally and above all internationally. National parliaments must react in time to new crises and pass legal changes that guarantee human rights.

As part of the Council of Europe, she said, parliaments, including Bulgaria's National Assembly, must not only follow but also promote the core principles of democracy, unity and solidarity. These principles are essential for the international order among the Council's member states.

Dotsova also cited the 1945 UN Charter. She said its principles must be defended more than ever. The Charter calls for saving future generations from the scourge of war, which twice brought untold sorrow to mankind.

She also spoke about high technology. We live in an age of lightning-fast progress and the spread of artificial intelligence into government, the military and daily life, she said. This opens up unforeseen opportunities, but also brings difficulties.

Besides Dotsova's theme, the forum's programme includes "Sustainable democracies: united against hybrid threats" and "Artificial intelligence and the labour market".