10.07.2025
The recovery of Ukraine is an extensive and long-term process within which many projects can be implemented that would benefit both the country itself and the region as a whole. Bulgaria must make full use of its potential and these opportunities, Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov stated to journalists in Rome. In the Italian capital, the Prime Minister took part in the Fourth High-Level Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery.
The Prime Minister highlighted Bulgaria’s role in ensuring the stability of Black Sea infrastructure. It is connected with electricity transmission, gas transit, and data transfer, Jeliazkov noted. He also emphasized the importance of transport connectivity along the south-north axis, which is also crucial for Ukraine’s recovery. In this context, Jeliazkov described as a priority the project currently under discussion with Greece for a railway link between Alexandroupolis and Odesa. Romania will also be included in this project, which will become a European corridor, the Prime Minister added. According to him, this investment can be seen in the context of the commitment made by NATO allies to reach defense spending of 5% of GDP, of which 1.5% is planned for additional expenditures, such as technologies and dual-use infrastructure.
Another important project underscored by Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov is the Black Sea Motorway, which will also provide connectivity between Turkey and Ukraine through Bulgaria and Romania as a land transport corridor for goods. All this will be complemented by the full spectrum of intermodality, engaging our ports, Jeliazkov added. He also expressed hope that very soon the agreements with Romania on the construction of the third Danube Bridge would be finalized.
Regarding energy connectivity, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the Vertical Gas Corridor and ensuring Europe’s energy security. Last but not least, Prime Minister Jeliazkov noted that Bulgaria should leverage its potential and the opportunities it has as a maritime country. Regarding commercial shipping, we will soon be holding talks with our neighbors about participating in these initiatives, the Prime Minister added.
Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov highlighted the enormous damage that Ukraine has suffered due to the war, as well as the substantial resources needed for the country’s recovery, estimated to be around half a trillion euros. This is a vast amount, and without engaging a clear approach that attracts investment, private capital, and businesses to enable the necessary infrastructure to be built, the process will be difficult. However, the enlargement of the European Union and the expansion of the single European market present great opportunities for Ukraine. Of course, this must be based on Ukraine’s own merits and its will and desire to become part of Europe’s union of values, Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov added.
Asked by the media about tomorrow’s vote on the fourth no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister expressed the expectation that the vote would not pass. This is yet another of those sectoral no-confidence votes which, firstly, have no subject matter, because the topic itself does not affect the work of this cabinet, and this cabinet is making efforts to resolve inherited problems, Jeliazkov added. The Prime Minister described the support for the vote of no confidence as strange and added that in politics, all kinds of cocktails of incomparable tastes are possible.
Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov commented to the media on the topic of “Botas.” Stankov recalled that already as chairman of the parliamentary committee investigating all facts and circumstances on the matter, he drafted a report showing that the Bulgarian state pays over one million leva per day under this contract. What I found was that only 11% of the capacity under this contract was actually used — in other words, for every 100 leva we were paying for capacity, only 13 leva were used for the actual transmission of capacity and gas through the network, the Energy Minister stated. He assured that currently every possibility is being explored to alleviate the economic impact — essentially, to buy cheaper gas so that the high transport price can be offset — but this does not make the contract more successful, Stankov noted. According to him, this enormous sum weighs heavily on Bulgarian energy. So far, over 500 million leva have been invoiced to Bulgargaz, while only 100 million leva represents the physical capacity that has been used from the Botas contract, the Energy Minister said.
