03.11.2022
Inclusive regional cooperation in South East Europe is Bulgaria’s guiding foreign policy priority, said Prime Minister Galab Donev in his intervention at the Berlin Process/the Western Balkans Summit. In his words, this complements and builds on the process of European integration, promotes democracy and development and strengthens the stability and security in the region. Bulgaria’s Prime Minister stated that the country is committed to and actively works with the countries in the region towards their successful European integration, based on their own merits. “As we abide by the fundamental principles of good neighborliness, inclusion, mutual understanding and reconciliation, we can contribute to the achievement of our shared goal which is prosperous, stable and safe Europe,” the Prime Minister said.
The problems related to energy security that we are facing can be overcome and energy transition can be achieved only through enhanced regional cooperation, Prime Minister Galab Donev stated at the working session “Security of Energy Supply and Transformation”. The Prime Minister highlighted the key role of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) in the diversification of the gas sources, the improvement of the security and flexibility of supplies as well as the promotion of competition for the benefit of the end user. The Prime Minister was satisfied to note the progress made in the construction of the gas Interconnector Bulgaria-Serbia that is of equal strategic importance. In his intervention, he emphasized the Interconnection Agreement signed earlier this week between the Bulgarian transmission operator Bulgartansgaz EAD and the gas transmission operator of the Republic of North Macedonia GA-MA on the construction of a new interconnector. Here the Prime Minister underscored Bulgaria’s effort to offer institutional support to the neighbor country to address its energy shortages while he recalled that traditionally Bulgaria is a net exporter of electricity and plays a key role in the energy security of the countries of the region.
“We give the due attention to infrastructure connectivity,” Prime Minister Galab Donev went on to say as he noted that the construction of Corridor 8 is of strategic importance for the connectivity and the development of trade in the region and also in the context of security in the Western Balkans and the EU.
In his intervention, Prime Minister Galab Donev reaffirmed Bulgaria’s willingness to help its Western Balkans partners achieve the European Green Deal objectives that feature in the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. “We remain firmly committed to bilateral and regional cooperation with all our neighbors in this field and in other fields,” the Prime Minister said further.
Prime Minister Galab Donev recognized the Berlin Process as a well-functioning and all-inclusive format of cooperation, with an essential contribution to the economic development of the countries of the Western Balkans, and expressed his support for the idea advanced by Germany’s Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz that the Berlin Process be transferred to the countries of the Western Balkans to “navigate” it. Alongside, the Prime Minister wished success to Albania following the decision to host the next Berlin Process Summit.
