The Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, met, today, with his Bulgarian counterpart, Boyko Borissov, in Kavala, and held consultations along with the signing of a memorandum of cooperation for the railway link between the two countries.
Their meeting focused on cooperation in the fields of economy, energy and transport, the developments in the Balkans, and the upcoming Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council during the first half of 2018.
More specifically, it was agreed that a Greek-Bulgarian Supreme Cooperation Council would be held at the end of this year, along with the completion of the IGB Terminal. In addition, it was stressed that the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council is of particular importance for the region, in this context it was agreed to take joint initiatives to further promote the 2003 “Thessaloniki Agenda” concerning the European Balkan Perspective. Also, the importance of completion of the IGB pipeline as soon as possible was highlighted, for Europe and the wider region.
Following the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation by the two Ministers of Infrastructure and Transport, the two Prime Ministers made joint statements to the media representatives of the two countries:
Alexis Tsipras: I would like to welcome the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, to Greece, to Kavala, one of the most beautiful cities in Greece, even though I cannot be too objective about it.
I would like to welcome him and thank him for coming to Greece, today, on a major day for Bulgaria on a national anniversary of the unification of Bulgaria and to congratulate them on their national anniversary and to say that this day is also a significant one for us as well, it is of a historic significance, I would say, an agreement on the co-development of our region, for the common course of growth and progress of the two countries.
The cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria is crucial, and of crucial importance for both countries, but, I would say, also for the wider Balkan region, perhaps a model of cooperation within the European Union, because we manage to create positive developments in a series of essential issues.
In the energy sector, we are revealing new horizons for Europe’s energy map, as is evident from the meetings of the Energy Ministers of the two countries. One of these is expected to be held tomorrow in Alexandroupolis, where we are discussing and proceeding rapidly, I would say, for both the IGB axis and the vertical axis of the interconnection and transportation of natural gas, but also for the liquefied natural gas station in Alexandroupolis.
In the field of transport, we are working together on the basis of the upgrading of the transport network between the two countries, and I think that it promotes a series of new great opportunities for trade, tourism and, overall, I would say, opportunities and a prospect the economic development of the two countries.
In the field of common crisis management as well, in the field of security, our cooperation is essential, as in the refugee and immigration crisis, which in recent years was much more intense. Our cooperation has revealed new perspectives for political dialogue on critical issues in our region.
And it would not be an exaggeration to say, even after the summit held in Thessaloniki last July, the tripartite Greek-Bulgarian-Serbian Synod, that this cooperation between the two countries also acquires a regional dynamic, in view of the next quadruple summit, this time, in Varna, where Romania – Greece-Bulgaria-Romania-Serbia – will participate, in Varna, in early October, a dynamic exists around the Greek-Bulgarian axis, which has a significant regional dynamic.
Allow me, now, to say a word about the Agreement signed just earlier by the two Transport Ministers of Greece and Bulgaria. It is the railway interconnection of three important, the most important ports of Northern Greece, the port of Alexandroupolis, Kavala and Thessaloniki, with three major Bulgarian cities, Rousse on the Danube River, Varna and Burgas, two major Bulgarian ports in the Black Sea.
I would like to say that this is not another infrastructure project, but it is a project of historic importance, of enormous economic, commercial and geopolitical value. A project that meets established needs of decades. It upgrades the combined transport and infrastructure in our countries. It attracts new production units and strengthens existing ones. And I would say that it will be a very powerful lever to develop and facilitate trade flows and transports in the wider region.
Actually, we are opening new trade routes and extending the trans-European transport network, linking the Aegean to the Danube and the Black Sea.
It is a big step for the Balkan countries, our neighborhood, to be transformed into a European area of economic prosperity, under the conditions of security and stability.
In the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the Ministers of Transport of the two countries, the establishment of a transnational body for the implementation and management of the railway line from Thessaloniki to Rousse in Bulgaria is estimated. And I would say that with the support of the European Commission, for the first time in our region, this process is preferred of implementing an important infrastructure project, which is certainly of distinct importance, as it will be undertaken by a joint body of the two countries and not separately by their own territory.
Allow me, also, to say a word about the city that hosts us, about Kavala. A very important city and a major port in northern Greece, where the railway link, absent for decades, was a project that should have been completed for decades, it will upgrade, give a new trade dynamic, but also a dynamic in tourism development.
Therefore, we are determined to move forward fast, with active participation in European politics and to make use of the potential of our country and region, with a specific national strategic infrastructure planning and with people implementing it, not with much words, but with hard work.
Also, with the Bulgarian Prime Minister, we are in a common line of determination to derive, to exhaust the great potential given in our two countries by our cooperation and by exploiting the geopolitical dynamics of this cooperation.
Therefore, I would like once again to thank him for being in Kavala today to sign this very important agreement and to express the certainty that this cooperation will continue for the benefit of the two peoples for the benefit of peace, of co-development in the wider Balkan region. And to say that the Bulgarian Presidency, of the EU Council, which starts in the first half of 2018, for us it is a presidency we feel as our own. It is a Balkan presidency and we will work closely together to make it absolutely successful.
Boyko Borissov: Thank you for the invitation. I, also, thank our Ministers for the wonderful work they have done to sign the memorandum. I thank you personally for the work you have done in order Greece to exit the crisis.
Bulgaria is celebrating today one of the most beloved anniversaries: the one of the unification of Bulgaria. Today, with the signing of the memorandum on the work we will be performing. The signing of the memorandum is a continuation of the development of the energy and transport hubs. It is a continuation of the interconnection of our regions with the transport of goods, the transport of people, in favor of the new possibilities for the development of the tourism sector.
You have, correctly, stated that we must view the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union as a common Balkan presidency because we are given the rare opportunity to convince Europe that there are wise people in our region, leaders and state men who work, so that by diplomatic and political means the disputes can be resolved and instead of the powder keg of Europe, the Balkans can continue to be an area of stability and peace.
The infrastructure project, the important project, the memorandum that we signed today, the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Alexandroupolis-Burgas-Varna-Danube railway interconnection, is essentially a project of infrastructure between two countries, between Bulgaria and Greece. But automatically on October 2nd and 3rd, when we meet in the forthcoming quadruple summit in Varna, we will integrate our Romanian and Serbian counterparts because the project is about transport on the Danube and the Danube strategy, including Austria and the Romania and with the forthcoming Presidency of the European Union in the coming semesters of Austria and Romania, it is very important that we also involve these countries.
At the same time, we are presented with an opportunity to persuade and demonstrate to our European partners the important regional projects being developed in our region. It is also important with regard to the structural funds, to present our attitude towards the European Bank to find funding so that we can convince our European partners, by presenting a document, a piece of paper that we are essentially aiming for infrastructure projects and major installations.
And with regard to the European strategies for the Balkans, I think we are able to demonstrate how we can play an important role for the stability of our region, for its growth.
We said with my counterpart, Mr. Tsipras, that in October, before the EU Summit, we would ask for a meeting with Mr. Juncker to expose to him our ideas for the further development of our region with the infrastructure projects that we are preparing.
Once again, I would like to thank the hospitable city of Kavala and personally you, Mr. Prime Minister, for the opportunity that we have been given today to be here and to sign this important and crucial project with perspective.
Nikos Roumpos: : If you could tell us a bit more about what you are going to address to Mr. Juncker at the meeting you asked with him. You, here, are opening the panels of cooperation. You are three, and you became four. At the same time, however, there are challenges in our neighborhood, there are voices of intolerance and nationalism. What do you say about these sides? And for Mr. Tsipras: Today he is here with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, tomorrow Emmanuel Macron, the President of France is coming to Athens. What does this visit signify? What are we waiting for?
Boyko Borissov: As an old friend of mine, we will say to Mr. Juncker, along with Alexis, that not too long ago, for about a hundred years, while in other parts of the Balkans, twenty years ago, there were tensions, there were massacres and nothing positive emerged from all this. It is understandable that history is history. Everyone insists and wishes to respect their own national values. Today, however, we are a member of the great European family in which the other Balkan countries want to enter. Unless my memory deceives me in 2003, there was the Thessaloniki Agenda. And, precisely on the basis of this agenda Greece, Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. Alexis knows more and must remember even more. You can, already, see, I imagine, the difference that exists in these ten years of our accession, of Bulgaria and Romania in the EU, in contrast to the other Balkan countries that are not members of the EU. We may not be ideal but we are many times better than the rest of the states. And we are an extremely promising EU border, the southern border along with Greece. I have said in Skopje and to President of Serbia Vucic and the Prime Minister of Kosovo. What happened with this war? What did Kosovo accomplished with the war? And what is the progress of FYROM, as this conflict continues? When we are united, there is prosperity. But where there is discord, the crisis is substantial. We faced a financial crisis, an immigrant-refugee crisis. Yes, of course, there are also voices of the past. And with Alexis, although we belong to different political factions, I dare say that we are friends. We are connected with a close friendship. We want, therefore, to be an example of how countries can be united, how together they can develop their economies, create solid foundations for industry. And, ultimately, this will bring higher incomes to the world. Isn’t this what we are fighting for? Whoever wants to talk about the past, we together with Mr. Tsipras choose to talk about the future, for the immediate future. That’s what I’ll say to Juncker.
Alexis Tsipras: To say that I fully agree with Boyko Borissov, the Bulgarian Prime Minister, although I do not think we need to say much to Juncker because this very model of cooperation is what the European Commission, I strongly believe, seeks, wishes, strengthens and promotes as a model of transnational cooperation for growth and contribution to infrastructure modernization and stability, however, in Europe. But let’s not hide, here we are not dealing with just a model of economic and trade co-operation. Here we are also dealing with an initiative that is of particular value in a long-lived area, such as the Balkan region. And what we want to present as a message ,together the two countries, is that we here, the Balkans, can work together and we are more concerned about what will happen in the Balkans than the Central Europeans, and we, also, have an opinion. And we have a vision and we wish this vision to actualize it through cooperation and implementation of specific development projects that will put the Balkans on another track. We look ahead, but we must learn from our history. Just to avoid the fatal mistakes of the past and create a framework that will force everyone to slowly begin to think differently. And I also say that this region is not only a lot like the past, “Europe’s powder keg” as we said, but it is also the eastern border of Europe. Do not forget this. An area of particular geopolitical importance. And without the positive contribution of our countries, the EU will certainly not be able to face a number of modern challenges.
I will address, now, the other part of your question. Obviously, Greece, emerging from the long-term economic crisis, has once again played a crucial role in Europe and the region. We want to play a positive role as a force of stability, peace, cooperation, as a hub between three different continents. A feature that is attributed to our geographical position. And this possibility can be strengthened both through the development of a multidimensional foreign policy, a doctrine which we have been implementing for two and a half years and is bearing fruit. However, as Greece’s ongoing effort not only to exit the economic crisis but, also, this exit of the crisis to offer added value across the EU and the prospect of economic recovery and economic success throughout the Eurozone and across the EU. In this sense, both international meetings and the visit of the Bulgarian Prime Minister and tomorrow’s visit by the French President have a thread linking them. There are two events in one sequel. And a common denominator is our determination to move forward with infrastructure projects, private and public investment, to move forward with more rapidly towards growth that will give prosperity to our peoples that will provide jobs and an overall prospect for the region. Finally, let us not forget that we are at a time when the debate on the future of Europe has opened. For the new architecture of Europe. In this debate, we are actively taking part, not as observers, not as followers but by shaping the agenda and with our own small contribution for the benefit of our peoples.
Peter Rouskof (Newspaper Troud Sofia): Today we celebrate the Day of the Unification of Bulgaria, it is a national anniversary. We could say that it is also a day of uniting Greece and Bulgaria in their common political directions course. It is not a time to show and believe that our region has ceased to be “Europe’s powder keg”.
Bulgarian journalist: And adding something else to my colleague’s question, I would like to ask what your common Balkan policy will be on the important European issues, especially regarding your policy towards Russia and Turkey, and with perspective, as my colleague has pointed out, that our region is no longer considered to be the “European powder keg”?
Alexis Tsipras: I mentioned at the beginning that it is a special symbolic fact that today the Bulgarian Prime Minister is here, celebrating the anniversary of the Bulgarian Union, and I think this symbolism is very interesting because, today what are we indeed doing here? We are joining forces. We unite the Aegean with the Black Sea, unite the Aegean with the Danube. Now, as for the second part of the question is, I have referred to the crucial role that our countries play as the EU’s eastern border to the great challenges that we face before us. But the key feature of our cooperation is that it is not an aggressive cooperation against third parties, nor a cooperation that seeks to bind us to third party neighbors. But, a cooperation that we want to assign growth features, perspective in our region, which will also benefit our neighbors. When there is prosperity in one area, it benefits both neighboring countries and neighboring regions. And as far as our relations with Russia are concerned, it is obvious that our countries can also play the role of a bridge between the EU and Russia, as there are traditional relations based on a common spiritual tradition, which can facilitate this role.
Boyko Borissov: I fully support and agree with what was said by my counterpart, Mr. Tsipras. With my counterpart, Mr. Tsipras, we are modest people, we do not have some over-optimistic intentions. We had the opportunity to have dinner last night and this morning to discuss various issues that concern our region and Europe. That’s why I have the courage to talk in plural. One of the problems in the Balkans is which state is the largest. Is it Bulgaria, is it Hungary, is it Serbia, and is it Albania the great one? If we move according to this standard, the big ones unifying or dividing, then the result will be very dangerous. That’s why, with the modesty that distinguishes us, we begin with simpler things. Is there a new highway? Next year it will be ready. Is there a high-speed railway line? It will be done. We have highways reaching Istanbul and railway lines. Do we have the highway linking Sofia and the Adriatic? All these exist. The rare opportunity, the Aegean, with all the ports of the North Aegean Sea, to be connected to the two Black Sea ports and the port of Rousse. If this plan is implemented, Kavala will be able to trade with Rousse and with the big economy of a hinterland.
Therefore, in Thessaloniki, when the tripartite meeting with the Serbian President, Mr. Vucic, together all three of us, with Mr. Tsipras, we considered and discussed whether Serbia could integrate because it participates in the Danube strategy so as to expand this work. And when this project ends in Ruse, why not integrate Romania? That is why we decided on October 3rd to meet all four of us in Varna Mr. Tsipras and I, to welcome both Vucic and the Romanian Prime Minister, so that the project will be completed quadruple.
But the Danube also means Hungary and Austria, even Germany. It means Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The passageway, number 8, allows us to have a highway from Albania to Bulgaria. Then there will be great opportunities for entrepreneurial activity, because the distances are greatly shortened. In brief, we came to the conclusion that it is easier to unite and bring new dynamism to our economies and then it will be clear who is the greatest in the Balkans.
