Agreements to study the possibility of its construction Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline and Greek involvement in underground warehouses natural gas in Bulgaria will be signed today Bulgarian President Rumen Radevwho provides Exclusive interview “K”. Mr. Radev says that if North Macedonia does not change its constitution to include Bulgarians on an equal footing with the other peoples of the country, the EU accession talks will really start. this cannot be.

“The two new cooperation agreements to be signed today show the consistency of our efforts to strengthen Europe’s energy security. The memorandum of cooperation to study the possibility of building the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline will create the necessary basis for the implementation of the project, which will allow the transport of crude oil from the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea. The straits are already congested with heavy traffic, and this new route will bring relief. A memorandum of cooperation in the field of security of natural gas supply and storage of natural gas will allow Greek natural gas suppliers to reserve a place in the Chiren underground storage facility in Bulgaria. A project is being implemented to expand it to 1 billion cubic meters. For their part, Bulgarian natural gas suppliers will be able to reserve storage slots and capacities, as well as regasification capacities from terminals in Greece. We must turn these opportunities into visible changes for our citizens, as we already did with the commercial launch of the Greece-Bulgaria IGB connection on 10/10/2022. We continue to build this momentum and intensify the development of cross-border energy infrastructure and large-scale joint investment projects. Construction of the LNG terminal near Alexandroupolis is ongoing and we expect it to be operational by the end of 2023 as a gateway to the global LNG market in full synergy with IGB.

If North Macedonia does not amend its constitution, negotiations on joining the EU will actually begin. this cannot be.

– Bulgaria and Greece, as members of NATO, share a common responsibility for security and stability in the wider region, including the Black Sea region. Bilateral and regional communication is vital to security and stability, especially in times of crisis. Russian aggression against Ukraine has severed many supply chains in Southeast Europe and demonstrated the importance of modernizing infrastructure links and providing alternative supply routes. In the past year, we have seen very convincing examples in this regard. One such example was the Greek government’s decision to grant Bulgaria emergency access to the Greek gas network last April, when Gazprom abruptly cut off gas supplies to us. Similarly, rail links between Greece and Bulgaria are of geopolitical and geostrategic importance. Investment in transport infrastructure will provide better economic, trade and energy connectivity, as well as significant potential for enhanced security and defense along NATO’s eastern flank.

– You are right. Bulgaria had strong historical ties with Russia (as well as with Ukraine). At the end of the 19th century, Russia played an important role in the restoration of an independent Bulgarian state and its institutions. But it is noteworthy that from the first day of its independence from the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria has always sought to assert its dominant position among modern European nations. After the end of the Cold War and Soviet rule in Eastern Europe, Bulgaria made a decisive choice in favor of membership in NATO and the EU. Despite any misgivings about Russia’s role in our history that may still exist in some parts of our society, Bulgaria categorically condemns Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. We fully support the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. We will continue to provide our support to Ukraine in accordance with its needs and in accordance with our capabilities. We will continue to support Ukrainian refugees on our territory. We are approaching a very sad anniversary of this brutal war. I strongly believe that collective pressure is needed to end this horrific tragedy as soon as possible and stop the relentless violence to prevent it from escalating. Our unwavering support for Ukraine must be accompanied by active diplomatic and political efforts to end this war.

– Bulgaria has always been open to dialogue with North Macedonia. We were the first to recognize the new Balkan state in 1992 and have always supported Skopje even in the most difficult times. We firmly believe that the future of our region belongs to the EU. Bulgaria and North Macedonia agreed to the proposal of the French presidency of the Council, which provided a negotiating framework for our neighbor. We all expect from a candidate country that has declared its desire to become part of the EU. and its values, commit themselves to protecting and defending fundamental human rights. To start accession negotiations, North Macedonia agreed to amend its constitution to include Bulgarians on an equal footing with other peoples living in that country. I repeat, this is a commitment that North Macedonia has agreed to fulfill by accepting the framework of negotiations with the EU. Without this step, the actual start of negotiations cannot take place. Unfortunately, North Macedonia’s quest for European integration has been on the wane in recent months as a series of hate crimes have been committed against local Bulgarians. The shootings in Bulgarian cultural clubs in North Macedonia and the violence against Bulgarians show a situation that is closer to the dark past of the Balkans than to their European future. We cannot agree with this. That is why the leadership of North Macedonia should be encouraged to take active steps towards genuine democratization.