European Commissioner Valyan: I would be happy to see Athens, Sofia and Bucharest connected by a high-speed railway line

Bulgaria, Greece and Romania will work together to strengthen regional connectivity in all its forms. They will continue to develop their cooperation also to ensure regional and Euro-Atlantic security in South-Eastern Europe.

This is the conclusion of the tripartite meeting that took place today in the "Evksinograd" residence near Varna on the initiative of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov with the Prime Ministers of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis and of Romania Ion-Marcel Cholaku. European Commissioners Margaritis Schinas and Adina-Ioana Valian, as well as Moldova's Minister of Energy Viktor Parlikov, also participated as guests. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel and ministers from the Bulgarian government, Greece and Romania also took part in the thematic and plenary discussions.

The development of transport, energy and digital connectivity between the three countries was at the heart of the talks. "These problems today have an extremely important supra-regional aspect related to the events in Ukraine, and since a few days - in Israel. Europe can no longer afford to be divided and dependent on external factors," said the host of the meeting Academician Denkov.

The three Prime Ministers adopted a joint declaration (in the attached file). The preparation of a memorandum is pending, in which the main points, the development of which will be worked on, will be recorded. The memorandum will be followed by a contract between the three countries, which will formulate the specific commitments regarding the implementation of the regional connectivity projects.

According to Prime Minister Academician Denkov, some of the tasks are relatively short-term, such as the roads for transporting grain from Ukraine to the Mediterranean Sea and from there to Africa. "Others will take years to implement as they are very serious investment projects. In order to have a result in a few years, however, we have to start work literally from today," said the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

Cooperation within NATO, as well as the development of the oil pipeline project between Bulgaria and Greece, were also the topic of the talks today. "We want to turn the region into a center of international connectivity and transmission of green energy. And this requires the development of the electricity transmission networks of our countries", pointed out the Greek Prime Minister. He also highlighted the issue of the European path in the Western Balkans, which "could be a lever for stability in the region". "This perspective goes through the observance of the principles of the rule of law in the EU candidate countries. All three countries are ready to help with this," Mitsotakis noted.

The Greek Prime Minister welcomed the initiative of the European Union for a new railway corridor from the Baltic to the Black to the Aegean Sea. "This is proof that our countries can cooperate within such large infrastructure projects and utilize more European resources for projects that concern the entire region," stressed Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Romanian Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu emphasized the benefit of regional connectivity for the citizens of the three countries: "It will lead to better services, better prices for people, and last but not least, the southern corridor will help rebuild Ukraine." The Romanian guest emphasized the need for a new bridge over the Danube between Giurgiu and Ruse, as well as an increase in shipping capacity on the Danube. Cholaku noted as a positive sign from the meeting the readiness of the three countries to support the European orientation of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

European Commissioner for Transport Adina-Ioana Valyan promised EU support for the development of transport infrastructure in the region. "The European Union has funds through various infrastructure projects. I would sincerely like to see the three capitals connected by a high-speed rail line, and we are here to help and support you for such a future," Valyan said.

The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area is a top priority for both countries, which have been fulfilling all the technical criteria for membership for years, it became clear after the meeting in "Euxinograd". This was once again recognized by European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas. "The accession of Bulgaria and Romania to Schengen will increase the level of our collective security. This means better control at external borders rather than concentrating resources at internal borders. Both countries have made significant progress in dealing with migratory pressures, but supply chains in Europe have also been tested. That is why I hope, I am even convinced, that by the end of the year we will be able to make a positive decision on Schengen, and we are all working actively to achieve this goal," said Schinas.

The heads of government of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania are unanimous about the strategic importance of the Black Sea in terms of Euro-Atlantic security in the region, especially against the background of the war in Ukraine. They united around the need to develop this security within NATO.