Bulgaria wants to participate in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has expressed Bulgaria's readiness to participate in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. He did so during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders spoke in Odessa, within the framework of the Ukraine-South-East Europe Summit taking place there.

The Bulgarian prime minister emphasized his country's potential in areas such as energy, trade, shipping, and infrastructure, as well as in the context of the Greek prime minister's proposal for a rail link from Alexandroupolis to Odessa.

Zhelyazkov and Zelensky also discussed the accession of Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries to the EU.

For us, and this is also the common European approach, accession based on merit – that is, the fulfillment of all the criteria for it – is a prerequisite for the start of the negotiation process,” the prime minister said.

The status, rights, and opportunities of the Bulgarian national minority in Ukraine were also discussed.

There are great opportunities for development, especially in the field of mother tongue education, in education, in access to all social programs and the upcoming recovery programs,” Zhelyazkov emphasized.

The prime minister was adamant that the Bulgarian state has a duty to pursue a proactive policy towards our compatriots abroad.

For us, as a European Union country with the largest national minority in Ukraine, the state's attitude towards our compatriots in all aspects of their inclusion in political, economic, and social life, including the reconstruction of Ukraine, is extremely important,” the prime minister added.

Translated with DeepL.