site.btaPM Zhelyazkov: Bulgarian Business Can Contribute Significantly to Ukraine's Post-war Recovery

"From the very beginning of the war, Bulgaria has strongly supported Ukraine, and we must extend this support in peacetime as well. Bulgarian business has significant potential to contribute to the country's post-war recovery," Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said at the 4th High-Level Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine, held in Rome, as quoted by the press centre of the cabinet on Thursday.

Emphasizing the scale of the devastation, Prime Minister Zhelyazkov pointed out the two key pillars on which Ukraine's recovery will depend. First, the prime minister emphasized critical infrastructure and the need to repair the destroyed or severely damaged energy system, transport links, and basic services such as water supply and sewage. Bulgaria is ready to help Ukraine in this endeavor, Zhelyazkov said. According to him, Bulgaria is strategically positioned to coordinate cross-sectoral recovery initiatives covering areas such as energy, shipping and port security, climate change resilience, and others. The prime minister specifically highlighted the EU's new strategic approach for a secure, prosperous, and sustainable Black Sea region, offering cooperation in a number of areas between EU member states and regional partners, including Ukraine, Turkiye, and Georgia. 

According to Prime Minister Zhelyazkov, investments in rail and transport links are also a means of promoting intermodality and improving connectivity in the region. A direct rail link between Odesa on the Black Sea and Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea will reduce transit times and open up additional opportunities for Ukrainian exports, the prime minister added.

Zhelyazkov highlighted energy connectivity as a second key pillar for the country's recovery. The prime minister emphasized that at the end of May, construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor officially began, which will facilitate gas transmission in a south-north direction, thereby strengthening Ukraine's energy security.

Zhelyazkov stressed that for Ukraine's recovery to be successful, it must also be linked to European integration. In his words, this is a long-term stimulus for both institutional modernization and economic growth. At this critical moment, Ukraine needs full support for as long as necessary, the Bulgarian Prime Minister was adamant.