Bulgaria Holds a Special Place Among the European Commission’s Priorities for Next Year

Bulgaria has been given a special place in the European Commission's priorities for next year. This became clear on the day of Ursula von der Leyen's annual State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Septmber 16.

Bulgaria will become the gateway to the European Union and will be of strategic importance for the bloc's new trade and energy links. This was said by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos following a meeting with Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova in Strasbourg. In her State of the Union address, Ursula von der Leyen announced that Sofia would host a connectivity summit next year. The meeting is part of a new European Union project to connect the European market with the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission: "Today, I can announce a new international connectivity project. It will directly connect the South Caucasus and Central Asia with the European market – what we call the Middle Corridor. We will have the opportunity to mobilise more than €12 billion in public and private investment. Our aim is to diversify transport routes, triple trade flows and significantly reduce cargo transit times by 2030. To make this a reality, we will organise a Regional Connectivity Summit together with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria."

Velislava Petrova – Minister of Foreign Affairs: "Today is an important day for Bulgaria. You saw for yourselves that the Bulgarian prime minister was the only head of government of an EU member state to be explicitly mentioned in the speech. This is recognition both for Bulgaria and for the Bulgarian government, which has clearly demonstrated what an active foreign policy means. This is something we have stated from the very beginning."

Marta Kos – European Commissioner for Enlargement: “For me, Bulgaria is the European Union’s gateway to connectivity. Whatever we do regarding the Central Corridor—President von der Leyen spoke about this today—it concerns you—Bulgaria. This means that we already have specific projects—smaller projects for building roads, railways, and digital connectivity. But this must now take place at a new level, based on synergy and, of course, in the interest of Bulgaria.”

Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement: "For me, Bulgaria is the gateway to the European Union for connectivity. Whatever we do for the Middle Corridor – the President, Ursula von der Leyen, spoke about it today – concerns you, Bulgaria. This means that we already have specific projects, smaller projects to build roads and railway lines, and to develop digital connectivity. But this now needs to move to a new level, based on synergy and, of course, in the interest of Bulgaria.”