Greek ambassador Prokopios Mantzouranis
To celebrate Greece’s national day on March 25, The Sofia Echo outlines some of the achievements of the Greek business community in Bulgaria.
In an interview, Greek ambassador Prokopios Mantzouranis talks about recent highlights in bilateral relations with Bulgaria, and previews forthcoming major events.
THIS year, Bulgaria and Greece celebrate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a fitting moment to assess how well relations between the countries have progressed.
Perhaps it is symbolic that just one of the areas in which progress has been made is the opening of border checkpoints. This was among achievements pointed out by Greek ambassador Prokopios Mantzouranis when asked to name highlights in progress in bilateral relations in the past year.
Since this time last year, agreements have been reached on the opening of four new checkpoints, with the first, one near Gotse Delchev in southern Bulgaria, scheduled for opening in late spring or early summer.
There have also been significant investments, notably that by the Greek state-owned hydrocarbon enterprise. This highly valuable investment is expected to lead to the opening of a large number of fuel stations in Bulgaria.
There has been major progress in the Bourgas-Alexandropoulis pipeline, with the signing of the political agreement scheduled to take place, according to widespread reports in the media, in Sofia on April 15.
In the military sphere, since Greece’s national day last year, Bulgaria has joined it among the ranks of members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO.
“Our tradition of co-operation in this sphere is growing ever stronger through military co-operation in the NATO framework, while a regional character can be observed in the new concept of battle groups.”
At the same time, Bulgaria’s progress towards its scheduled joining of the European Union less than two years from now was “at a very favourable moment,” Mantzouranis said, while noting that difficulties remained in the area of matters related to the justice and home affairs chapter.
Tourism is another area of potential enhanced co-operation. At the recent International Tourism Bourse in Berlin this month, the Bulgarian and Greek ministers of tourism held “very cordial” discussions on co-operation in regional tourism.
“We have a warm sea, Bulgaria has excellent sites for winter sports, and, to a large extent, the necessary infrastructure. In Bulgaria, we are witnessing great possibilities for religious tourism. There are great opportunities for bilateral co-operation in tourism.”
Bulgaria is a beautiful country, and is not costly as a tourist destination.
“We shall elaborate on these themes through the relevant ministries and surely will achieve a very positive outcome,” Mantzouranis said.
The banking sector is a particularly notable sphere of investment by Greek financial sector leaders, with six Greek banks now present in the Bulgarian market.
Overall, Greek investment in South-Eastern Europe currently amounts to about six to seven billion euro, of which about two billion euro, or about 30 per cent, is in Bulgaria.
On co-operation on foreign policy issues, Mantzouranis drew a parallel between the evolution of relations in the latter half of the 20th century between Bulgaria and Greece, and between Germany and France.
“Enmity began to end in the 1950s, to be replaced by an affinity.”
The two countries, Greece and Bulgaria, now co-operate to establish and guarantee the continuity of peace and stability in the region, for example, by working together, along with others, on the issue of the Western Balkans.
“On some other foreign policy matters, such as Iraq, we might have had a different understanding, about a different engagement. That Bulgaria is there, but Greece is not, does not mean a lack of common understanding. In Afghanistan, we are together there.”
In regard to bilateral economic relations, Bulgaria is the number four partner of Greece in importing Greek goods, while Greece is in fourth place in the import of Bulgarian goods.
Forthcoming highlights this year include celebrations around the month of May of the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations, with major cultural events included in the plans. Also forthcoming this year, as mentioned previously, is the inauguration of the border checkpoint near Gotse Delchev.
In an interview, Greek ambassador Prokopios Mantzouranis talks about recent highlights in bilateral relations with Bulgaria, and previews forthcoming major events.
THIS year, Bulgaria and Greece celebrate the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, a fitting moment to assess how well relations between the countries have progressed.
Perhaps it is symbolic that just one of the areas in which progress has been made is the opening of border checkpoints. This was among achievements pointed out by Greek ambassador Prokopios Mantzouranis when asked to name highlights in progress in bilateral relations in the past year.
Since this time last year, agreements have been reached on the opening of four new checkpoints, with the first, one near Gotse Delchev in southern Bulgaria, scheduled for opening in late spring or early summer.
There have also been significant investments, notably that by the Greek state-owned hydrocarbon enterprise. This highly valuable investment is expected to lead to the opening of a large number of fuel stations in Bulgaria.
There has been major progress in the Bourgas-Alexandropoulis pipeline, with the signing of the political agreement scheduled to take place, according to widespread reports in the media, in Sofia on April 15.
In the military sphere, since Greece’s national day last year, Bulgaria has joined it among the ranks of members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO.
“Our tradition of co-operation in this sphere is growing ever stronger through military co-operation in the NATO framework, while a regional character can be observed in the new concept of battle groups.”
At the same time, Bulgaria’s progress towards its scheduled joining of the European Union less than two years from now was “at a very favourable moment,” Mantzouranis said, while noting that difficulties remained in the area of matters related to the justice and home affairs chapter.
Tourism is another area of potential enhanced co-operation. At the recent International Tourism Bourse in Berlin this month, the Bulgarian and Greek ministers of tourism held “very cordial” discussions on co-operation in regional tourism.
“We have a warm sea, Bulgaria has excellent sites for winter sports, and, to a large extent, the necessary infrastructure. In Bulgaria, we are witnessing great possibilities for religious tourism. There are great opportunities for bilateral co-operation in tourism.”
Bulgaria is a beautiful country, and is not costly as a tourist destination.
“We shall elaborate on these themes through the relevant ministries and surely will achieve a very positive outcome,” Mantzouranis said.
The banking sector is a particularly notable sphere of investment by Greek financial sector leaders, with six Greek banks now present in the Bulgarian market.
Overall, Greek investment in South-Eastern Europe currently amounts to about six to seven billion euro, of which about two billion euro, or about 30 per cent, is in Bulgaria.
On co-operation on foreign policy issues, Mantzouranis drew a parallel between the evolution of relations in the latter half of the 20th century between Bulgaria and Greece, and between Germany and France.
“Enmity began to end in the 1950s, to be replaced by an affinity.”
The two countries, Greece and Bulgaria, now co-operate to establish and guarantee the continuity of peace and stability in the region, for example, by working together, along with others, on the issue of the Western Balkans.
“On some other foreign policy matters, such as Iraq, we might have had a different understanding, about a different engagement. That Bulgaria is there, but Greece is not, does not mean a lack of common understanding. In Afghanistan, we are together there.”
In regard to bilateral economic relations, Bulgaria is the number four partner of Greece in importing Greek goods, while Greece is in fourth place in the import of Bulgarian goods.
Forthcoming highlights this year include celebrations around the month of May of the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations, with major cultural events included in the plans. Also forthcoming this year, as mentioned previously, is the inauguration of the border checkpoint near Gotse Delchev.
