26.02.2020
We are glad that you are here, it is important that we meet in this city exactly, because it is extremely important for our relationship. With that said, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Prime Minister Boyko Borissov in Alexandroupoli, where they held a bilateral meeting before the Fourth Session of the High Level Cooperation Council between the Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Hellenic Republic.
"The cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece is a guarantee for the stability and prosperity not only of our two countries, but of the whole region as an axis of stability in Southeastern Europe," Prime Minister Borissov noted.
In the course of the talks, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov noted that this year we will mark 140 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. "The ties between our two peoples are excellent, good-neighborly, partner-friendly and allied, built in the spirit of shared European values," said Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. According to him, the numerous joint projects of strategic importance, for the implementation of which Bulgaria and Greece are working very actively, prove this.
During the meeting the development of trade and economic relations and the upward trend in commodity exchange were discussed. Between January and October 2019, trade between Bulgaria and Greece increased by 9.3% compared to the same period in 2018, amounting to approximately EUR 3 billion. Greece is among the five leading investors in Bulgaria as the attractive sectors for Greek companies in Bulgaria are banking, telecommunications, metallurgy, textiles, construction.
Another focus of the meeting was the active work on connectivity between the two countries. Prime Minister Borissov emphasised on the joint work on the project for the creation of the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Alexandroupoli-Burgas-Varna-Rousse railway corridor and the construction of suitable infrastructure for the future Rudozem-Xanthi border checkpoint.
"Energy is a priority sector in our economic relations," underlined Prime Minister Borissov. He welcomed the clearly declared political will to pursue bilateral and regional energy projects such as the Greece-Bulgaria gas interconnector (IGB) and the liquefied natural gas terminal in Alexandroupoli. "Creating a competitive energy market with equal treatment of all projects is a necessary precondition for guaranteeing energy security and for ensuring the well-being of European citizens. In this way, they will be able to rely on affordable and reliable energy at a fair market price," said Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
The two prime ministers also discussed cooperation and exchange of experience on climate change measures, the need for a more ambitious EU budget for 2021-2027, which will help the Union follow its traditional policies but also successfully deal with new challenges.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov praised the active dialogue in bilateral relations at all levels. "In this context, we are looking for solutions to issues relevant to each of our countries - solutions that support stability in the region," concluded the Bulgarian Prime Minister.
