23.05.2022
Energy, security and the fight against corruption were the main items discussed at the meeting in Rome between Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi. After the discussion, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov emphasized Mario Draghi’s firm support for the Bulgarian Government and for the policy that it pursues. The fact that Italy is sending over 800 men to Bulgaria as part of the deployed NATO battlegroup is a very good sign of that support, Kiril Petkov noted.
Prime Minister Kiril Petkov pointed out that he had been congratulated by Italy’s Prime Minister on Bulgaria’s firm stance on Gazprom’s unilateral moves and that Mario Draghi had assured him that Bulgaria and Italy would work together to increase the potential gas supplies to Europe from Azerbaijan and from other countries. We agreed on the concept that indeed none of the European countries would be able to address this problem on its own and that we should maintain a common position, Kiril Petkov said firmly. In his opinion otherwise there would be a serious danger that Gazprom might “play” with different conditions towards the different countries. This issue is to be addressed by European leaders at top level.
Similarly, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi share the understanding that the mission and tasks of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) should be broader, including on money laundering that effects different states. This would abolish potential crimes such as “the villa in Spain” and other where money is taken out, from Bulgaria, for instance, and taken to other European member states, Kiril Petkov noted. In the Prime Minister’s opinion, if the EPPO is assigned a clear mission concerning this type of cash flows, such crimes would be detected far more rapidly.
