A deal signed by Greece and Bulgaria to build rail connections between ports in Bulgaria and northern Greece had “historic and geopolitical significance,” Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Wednesday, after the two countries signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. He was speaking during a joint press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who also announced plans to extend this cooperation to include Serbia and Romania in the future.
The deal concerns the interconnection of Greece’s three major ports of Alexandroupolis, Kavala and Thessaloniki with the Bulgarian seaports of Varna and Burgas on the Black Sea and Ruse, a port on the Danube River.
“This is a historic agreement for Greece and Bulgaria’s common course toward growth,” Tsipras noted, adding that Greece’s co-operation with Bulgaria was crucial.
In the field of energy, “we are opening up new horizons for Europe’s energy map, as we rapidly proceed with the IGB pipeline,” the prime minister followed.
In the transport sector, “we are working together, with new opportunities and perspectives emerging for trade relations and the economic prosperity of both countries,” he continued.
We also have a significant cooperation on security issues, Tsipras underlined, noting that this focused chiefly on the refugee crisis where both countries had managed to begin a dialogue in order to address this problem.
Regional dynamic
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that after the trilateral summit (Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia) last July, there is the formation of a regional dynamic pivoting on the Greek-Bulgarian axis,” he added.
Replying to an Athens-Macedonian News Agency’s journalist, Tsipras noted the government’s vision was to put the Balkans in the limelight, pointing out that the Balkans formed the eastern border of Europe.
“As it overcomes the economic crisis, Greece will play an important role. We want to have a positive role as a force of peace and stability, as a hub between three continents,” he argued.
This goal was supported by Greece’s multidimensional foreign policy in the last two and a half years, which was now bringing results, the prime minister claimed, as well as Greece’s unrelenting efforts to exit the economic crisis.
Taking questions from a Bulgarian journalist, Borisov noted that he had the opportunity to speak with his counterpart about the problems of the Balkans during their dinner on Tuesday. In the spirit of avoiding potential pitfalls, he said, “we are proceeding in a climate of modesty with smaller things, such as infrastructure projects (construction of highways and railway connections).”
Borisov added that if the infrastructure projects are completed, then the Aegean Sea could be linked to Ruse port (via Kavala port). “If this plan is implemented, Kavala could develop trade relations with Ruse and a large inland economy.”
In conclusion, he unveiled that the discussion with Tsipras also touched on the possibility of Serbia joining and expanding the railway interconnection project at the Thessaloniki trilateral meeting (Greece-Bulgaria-Serbia), while adding that Romania could also join once the project was completed.
“That is why we decided to meet in Varna on October 3 and have a quadrilateral meeting with the participation of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania to complete the project,” he stressed.
Tsipras: Macron and Borisov visits linked by our determination to proceed with investments
The common thread linking visits by France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to Greece was the government’s determination to rapidly proceed with infrastructure projects and investments, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras commented on Wednesday.
Responding to an Athens-Macedonian News Agency journalist during a joint press conference with Borisov, Tsipras stressed that the government would employ both public and private investments for a faster return to growth.
“Both international meetings have a thread that links them. They are two events in continuity. And the common denominator is our determination to proceed with infrastructure projects, investments both private and public, to proceed at a faster pace to the growth that will grant our people prosperity, creating jobs and a different overall prospect for the region. We must not forget that we are in a time when a discussion has begun about the future of Europe and the new architecture of Europe. We are taking an active part in this discussion, not as observers or followers but helping set the agenda and putting in our own two cents for the benefit of our people,” he underlined.
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Source: ANA-MPA
