10.07.2025
From the very beginning of the war, Bulgaria has firmly supported Ukraine, and we must extend this support into peacetime as well. Bulgarian business has significant potential to contribute to the country’s post-war recovery. This was stated by Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov during the Fourth High-Level Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery, held in Rome.
Prime Minister Jeliazkov pointed to the two key pillars on which Ukraine’s recovery will depend. First, the Prime Minister emphasized critical infrastructure and the need to repair the destroyed or severely damaged energy system, transport links, and essential services such as water supply and sanitation. Bulgaria is ready to assist Ukraine in this endeavor, Jeliazkov declared. According to him, our country is strategically positioned to coordinate cross-sectoral recovery initiatives spanning areas such as energy, shipping and port security, climate resilience, and more. The Prime Minister specifically underscored the EU’s new strategic approach for a secure, prosperous, and sustainable Black Sea region, offering cooperation across a range of fields between EU member states and regional partners, including Ukraine, Turkey, and Georgia.
According to Prime Minister Jeliazkov, investments in railway and transport connections are also a means to promote intermodality and improve regional connectivity. A direct railway link between Odesa on the Black Sea and Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea will shorten transit times and open additional opportunities for Ukraine’s exports, the Prime Minister further noted.
As the second key pillar of the country’s recovery, Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov highlighted energy connectivity. The Prime Minister stressed that at the end of May, construction officially began on the Vertical Gas Corridor, which will facilitate south–north gas transmission, thereby strengthening Ukraine’s energy security.
In conclusion, Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov emphasized that in order for Ukraine’s recovery to be successful, it must also be tied to European integration. In his words, this is a long-term incentive both for institutional modernization and for economic growth. At this critical moment, Ukraine needs our full support for as long as necessary, the Bulgarian Prime Minister stated firmly.
