Mitsotakis meeting with Radev – Petkov: They discussed the IGB pipeline and the European perspective of the West. Balkan

The Prime Minister paid a working visit to Bulgaria today, where he met with the President of the Republic, Rumen Radev, and the newly elected Prime Minister, Kirill Petkov. It was the first visit by a European and foreign leader to Bulgaria since the formation of a new government under Petkov.

The talks, according to information, were held in an exceptional atmosphere, indicative of the close cooperation between the two countries. Issues of common interest were discussed, with an emphasis on energy, transport, and cooperation on the crucial issue of border protection and guarding.

The prospects for the completion of the IGB gas interconnector and the railway and road interconnection of the two countries were on the agenda.

The two sides reaffirmed their support for the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries, as long as they meet the conditions and criteria for membership, and stressed their willingness to co-operate in this direction.

The Prime Minister stressed that Greece has always supported the enlargement policy in the Western Balkans for the benefit of peace and stability in the region, while noting that he looks forward to Bulgaria’s assistance in holding the European Union Intergovernmental Conferences with Albania and Northern Macedonia.

At the same time, Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed strong concern about the escalating illegal behavior of Turkey through actions that are blatantly contrary to international law. He also referred to the growing challenges in the region due to increasing migration flows and expressed the expectation that the EU would take more action in this regard.

Finally, reference was made to the holding of the 5th Supreme Cooperation Council of Greece – Bulgaria, in 2022, if the epidemiological conditions allow it.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ