Greece and Bulgaria’s plan to avoid Turkey has been announced
A critical advance is taking place on the Turkey-Greece line, where normalization steps have recently been taken… Bulgarian ambassador in Athens, Valentin Poriazov, made a statement about the megaproject prepared by Europe to surround the Bosphorus.
Poriazov stated: “The Sea2Sea project will be an alternative route to the Istanbul and Dardanelles straits.”
Poriazov, the Greek ambassador of Bulgaria, guest of honor at the Thessaloniki International Fair held in Thessaloniki, Greece, said in his statement to the news site Voria.gr: “The goal of the Sea2Sea project is to connect Bulgarian ports from the Black Sea to the northern Aegean Sea with a modern transport, energy and communication infrastructure. “It’s about connecting it to Greek ports in Greece,” he explained.
ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO ISTANBUL AND ÇANAKKALE STRAIT
Ambassador Poriazov’s statements were also widely covered in the Greek media.
Underlining the importance of the project, Poriazov stated that in practice it will be an alternative route to the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, and noted that better infrastructure must be created between the two countries (Bulgaria-Greece).
In addition to the IGB gas pipeline project, in operation since October 2022 for the natural gas interconnection between Greece and Bulgaria, Pariazov also specifically referred to the floating LNG terminal near Alexandroupoli, which will be completed by the end of this year. and stated that the Alexandroupolis project is a positive example of new sustainable investments, he stated that it is a clear example of a long-term investment strategy for the business world, with a wide scope and regional inspiration.
Referring to Bulgaria’s participation in the 87th Thessaloniki International Fair, Ambassador Poriazov continued his statement and stated that his country has a special interest in projects related to the future development and management of the Greek ports of Kavala and Alexandroupoli.
“Bulgarian companies intend to use these two commercial ports in the context of the blockade of trade routes in the Black Sea, especially due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” said Ambassador Valentin Poriazov.
GREEK INVESTMENTS IN BULGARIA BREAK A RECORD
Poriazov also specifically referred to Greece’s commercial presence in Bulgaria, stating that more than 18,000 Greek companies operating in his country have grown significantly.
Total Greek investments in Bulgaria will reach 3 billion euros in 2022. He highlighted that Greece will be Bulgaria’s third source of foreign direct investment by 2023, with revenues of more than 300 million euros.
The joint venture to be created by Greece and Bulgaria will cost €1.08 billion to improve the existing single railway line, 206 kilometers long, on the border between Alexandroupoli, Ormenio and Greece-Bulgaria. With the project, an annual benefit of 650 million euros is expected from the passage of container ships through the Straits of Istanbul and Çanakkale.