The governments of Greece and Bulgaria have finalized a Political Declaration regarding the Arda River, a topic of contention for months following the expiration of a previous agreement.
This new agreement guarantees a steady water supply to Greece, alleviating concerns among local farmers who rely on the river for their crops.
Recently, Foreign Minister G. Gerapetritis and Bulgarian Foreign Minister G. Georgiyev spoke by phone to discuss bilateral relations and water management issues.
According to the Bulgarian News Agency, the agreement outlines Bulgaria’s commitment to providing Greece with a regulated quantity of water from the Arda River, consistent with agreements made between Bulgaria and Greece in 1964, as well as the 2024 Protocol.
In return, Greece has expressed its intention to commence, within a reasonable timeframe, the necessary efforts to modernize existing infrastructure and/or build new equalizers. This aims to ensure the irrigation needs of Greek territories, thereby achieving self-sufficiency in managing water flow along the Arda River within Greece.
Bulgaria will also offer services for the accumulation, storage, and regulated supply of water from the Arda River through its dam system, essential for irrigating Greek lands. This arrangement will last for five years from the signing of the Declaration, until Greece completes the necessary infrastructure improvements. Greece commits to covering the relevant costs for these services provided by Bulgaria.
The challenge arose from both countries requiring water from the Nestos River simultaneously: Bulgaria for its hydroelectric station and Greece for agricultural irrigation. This agreement ensures uninterrupted water access for irrigation through the construction of a reservoir on the Greek side.
The issue of Nestos water has been used by the nationalist opposition in Bulgaria, which links it to the new border crossing between Rudozem and Xanthi, nearing completion on the Greek side.
This opposition has adopted an aggressive stance against Greece, attempting to rally constituents frustrated by the delays in opening the new crossing, which forces them to take longer routes. Currently, traffic between Greece and Bulgaria is operating smoothly via four existing toll roads, with the new crossing expected to open soon.
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