25.09.2025
Bulgaria works consistently for the prosperity of Southeast Europe, the country’s most significant role being in the diversification of energy sources, the European integration of the Western Balkans and infrastructure. This was stated by Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov at the XXXIV High-level Meeting of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center taking place in New York.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Bulgaria’s exceptional geographic location preconditions the strategic goals to transform it into a logistic and economic center for Southeast Europe. “Together with our partners, we actively work to expand and complete the road and railway infrastructure, energy and digital connectivity as it is connectivity that will strengthen the country’s resilience to challenges in the context of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” Mr. Jeliazkov said. He gave special prominence to the importance of the timely completion of Pan-European Corridor VIII that connects the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea not just for the prosperity of the region but also as a key logistical route along the southern flank of NATO. “The construction of the vertical axes connecting Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania is equally strategically important for my country and we work on their construction as a priority,” the Prime Minister explained.
As a member of the EU and NATO, Bulgaria is an intermediary between the Western institutions and Southeast Europe in the security sector. “We host multinational NATO troops, perform in joint exercises and contribute to regional defense initiatives. We play a key role in border and migration management, especially after our full accession to the Schengen area,” the Prime Minister stressed.
Rossen Jeliazkov noted Bulgaria’s leading role in the energy sector diversification and cited as an example the competition of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) that decreased dependence on Russian gas while it strengthened regional energy security. At the same time, the vertical gas corridor allows for the supply of natural gas to practically all countries in Southeast Europe.
“Our commitment to the European integration of the Western Balkans is staunch. Bulgaria has consistently interceded for the accession of the neighbor countries to the EU – not as a favor but as a must for regional cohesion. For the process to be successful, the candidate countries must carry out the reforms needed in a sustainable and irreversible manner, and the merit-based approach must remain valid,” the Prime Minister said.
