site.btaIn Sofia, Greek Prime Minister Urges Stronger Defence Cooperation Between Greece and Bulgaria

Greece stood by Bulgaria in protecting its airspace from potential threats, and the two countries can further strengthen cooperation in the field of defence, said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis after a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev in Sofia.

The two leaders held a one-on-one meeting at the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria, followed by a meeting attended by members of both delegations. The discussions focused on the development of bilateral relations. Topics of mutual interest, as well as issues on the European agenda, were also at issue.

Ahead of a joint statement with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Mitsotakis said that he is very pleased to be the first European leader to visit Bulgaria under the tenure of prime minister Rumen Radev, whom he congratulated on the landslide election victory. He also expressed satisfaction that there is now a government with a stable majority, capable of carrying out reforms for the benefit of Bulgaria and the European Union.

The Greek Prime Minister also congratulated Bulgaria on its accession to the eurozone and the Schengen Area.

“This is an important development that also affects Greece. It certainly facilitates not only trade between the two countries but also tourism,” he added.

On energy, the Greek Prime Minister highlighted the importance of implementing the Vertical Gas Corridor for the transportation of natural gas.

Greece completed the IGB Interconnector at a time when Bulgaria had a significant need for natural gas during the initial phase of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Therefore, the opportunities created by this cooperation are substantial, and the two countries can also jointly apply for European funding, said Mitsotakis.

“I would also like to emphasize the need to reach a long-term agreement on transboundary waters, whether we are talking about the waters of the Arda River, the Maritsa River, or the Mesta River. We need to resolve this issue on a long-term basis so that we can plan the investments that need to be made,” the Greek Prime Minister added.

Mitsotakis also touched on the issue of EU enlargement.

“We will soon both visit Montenegro to discuss matters related to the prospects of the Western Balkans. We recognize that the Western Balkans belong to Europe, but we believe that this process must reflect respect for good-neighborly relations and European law,” said Mitsotakis.

He added that during his talks with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, they also discussed the next European Union Multiannual Financial Framework. They agreed that funding for cohesion policy and the primary sector should be preserved.

In response to a question from Greek journalists about whether Greece and Bulgaria share a common approach to maintaining and strengthening European funding for areas such as cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy, Mitsotakis said that the ambitions of the European Union at this moment exceed the resources at its disposal.

“We have repeatedly stressed that European defence can be financed through new mechanisms and instruments that are distributed fairly among member states and serve the defence needs of the entire European continent,” said the Greek Prime Minister. According to him, Greece will continue to advocate for further discussion on this issue.

At the end of his remarks, the Greek Prime Minister also highlighted the topic of transport connectivity, saying that he envisions a land corridor comprising both roads and railways, linking Greek ports and extending all the way to Ukraine.