site.btaPrime Ministers of Bulgaria and Croatia Discuss Measures against Rising Fuel Prices

Bulgaria's caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov and Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic discussed measures against rising fuel prices in view of the situation in Iran and the difficulties in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the Government Information Service reported on Tuesday. The two met during the Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris.

Gurov and Plenkovic emphasized the importance of diversifying sources and routes for natural gas supplies. Bulgaria and Croatia were among the countries that signed a Joint Statement in late February on enhancing the security of natural gas supplies to Central and Eastern Europe.

The two prime ministers also discussed threats to European security and the need to strengthen the capacity of defence industries. Gurov emphasized the excellent bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Croatia, which will be further strengthened with the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of defence. He said that against the backdrop of the complex international situation, such a memorandum would open up new opportunities for joint initiatives in areas such as critical infrastructure protection, rapid mobility, and cyber resilience.

The agenda also covered opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation in areas such as digital transformation, green technologies, and artificial intelligence.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister said that in the last two years, Bulgaria's defence spending has reached 2% of GDP, which he described as a trend that should continue. Bulgaria has prepared a National Plan to increase defence spending to 5% by 2035.

Bulgaria is striving to accelerate digital transformation in all sectors and unlock the potential of emerging technologies, Gurov said.

Speaking in Paris earlier Tuesday, Gurov said that energy infrastructure is of strategic importance to the European Union, and its modernization and integration are among Europe's top priorities.