25.05.2022
We can be optimistic about the next decade if we take into account the lessons of the past ten years, said Prime Minister Kiril Petkov who was a speaker at “A Lost Decade?”, a discussion within the Davos 2022 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.
The Prime Minister pointed out that sufficient strategic steps were not taken over the past years to prevent Europe’s growing dependence on Russian gas and to counter hybrid attacks. Concerning security and defense matters, there was a lack of sufficient strategic consideration of the logistics on the Eastern Flank. Kiril Petkov spoke, inter alia, about the problem arising from the operation of foreign agents as particularly relevant in Bulgaria. In the view of the Prime Minister, it was the omissions made did not allow a proper response to the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine.
The conclusion is that we must act together, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said and gave an example of how Bulgaria managed to find alternatives within a short time following the shutoff of the Gazprom gas supplies. In the view of the Prime Minister, the optimal use of the infrastructure in the region gives an opportunity for energy diversification both of Bulgaria and of the Balkans. Kiril Petkov stressed the importance of the achievement of synergy within the region and of steps towards added sustainability. Prime Minister Kiril Petkov expressed his hope that as a result before the end of this year Bulgaria would cease to depend on Russian gas and would have a far greener economy.
In Davos Prime Minister Kiril Petkov was accompanied by the Head of the Prime Minister’s Office and by his foreign policy adviser. The motto of the Davos 2022 World Economic Forum taking place between 22-26 May is “History at a Turning Point: Government Policies and Business Strategies”. The Forum brings together over 2000 business and political leaders, intellectuals, journalists and experts from all the world and affords them with the opportunity to discuss a wide range of present-day issues including, inter alia, the reestablishment of global cooperation, the recovery of economic balance, the fight against climate change, the transformation of industry, innovation, governance and cybersecurity.
