Rumen Radev: Bulgaria and Greece are a strong axis of stability and a guarantor of the entire region’s European future

Rumen Radev: Bulgaria and Greece are a strong axis of stability and a guarantor of the entire region's European future

04.06.2026

Bulgaria and Greece are a strong axis of stability and a guarantor of the entire region's European future. This was stated by Prime Minister Rumen Radev after his meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic who is on a visit to Sofia today at Mr. Radev's invitation. Rumen Radev and Kyriakos Mitsotakis had a tête-á-tête that was followed by an extended format meeting of the two countries' delegations.

The development of bilateral cooperation and issues from the European agenda were the focus of today's talks at the Council of Ministers. As Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, the annual growth of bilateral trade reaching Euro 6 billion indicates the fruitful cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece while Greek investment in Bulgaria exceeds Euro 3.5 billion.

The two Prime Ministers gave prominence to the partnership between Bulgaria and Greece in connectivity in the transport, energy and digital sector with importance that goes beyond the scope of bilateral relations. The Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria, the Vertical Gas Corridor, the interconnection of the electricity grids and the green power transmission capacity via the future green energy corridors change Europe's energy map and provide security and an opportunity for energy diversification to the strategic partners and allies from Central and Eastern Europe.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the multimodal transport corridor Sea2Sea. "The modernization of our railways and the increase of the capacity of our interconnected road networks are an important investment in the development and connectivity of our region," Rumen Radev said. Further, the Prime Minister noted that the possibility of Bulgaria's involvement in the management of northern Greek ports is discussed and expressed his expectation that joint work on the feasibility study and the implementation of the Alexandroupolis-Bourgas oil pipeline would be speeded up. The development of Artificial Intelligence and the establishment of information centers were another area of great potential for cooperation that Rumen Radev pointed out.

"Bulgaria and Greece have a shared responsibility for the security of our region at a critical moment for Europe," Prime Minister Rumen Radev went on to say. He expressed his confidence that the two countries will continue to promote their fruitful cooperation in defense and the defense industry, the protection of the European Union's external borders, the fight against illegal migration, terrorism and illegal trafficking. Rumen Radev thanked his Greek counterpart for the commitment made by Greece to strengthen Bulgaria's air defense and to ensure the security of Bulgaria's airspace in a period that is critical for the security of the entire region as a consequence of the war in the Middle East.

The promotion of cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece in the field of culture, science and education was likewise discussed at the meeting.

The Prime Minister recalled, inter alia, the shared responsibility of the two countries as a driving force of the European integration of the Western Balkans. Rumen Radev noted that all countries that are currently working towards EU membership must demonstrate real results in good neighborly relations, in respect for human rights, in reforms and results primarily with regard to the fundamental principle of merit-based progress.

Regarding the approval of the European Union's Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), Prime Minister Rumen Radev highlighted the importance of saving the potential of the Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Prime Minister noted the need to strengthen European competitiveness while the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) should function in a way to enable sufficient funding to less developed member states so that they expand and strengthen their industries accordingly. "That is why we are now starting to talk about industrial cohesion," the Prime Minister noted and further he said that it is important for Bulgaria and Greece to unleash their potential in industry, technology, science and education.

For his part, the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis congratulated Rumen Radev on his decisive victory in the recent parliamentary elections and expressed his satisfaction with the fact of a government and a stable majority in place that can implement reforms for the benefit of Bulgaria and of the European Union. Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the benefits of investment in energy and transport connectivity in the region and gave prominence to the importance of cooperation in the field of defense. Vis-à-vis the next Multiannual Financial Framework, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed that the potential of the Cohesion Policy should continue to be maintained.