President Volodymyr Zelensky, during a conversation with the Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, discussed energy cooperation, security in the Black Sea region, and proposed joint production of weapons.
The President of Ukraine announced this on Telegram.
I spoke with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Rosen Zhelyazkov. We discussed strengthening energy cooperation and agreed on steps that will help energy security in our region. There are concrete decisions, and we will certainly implement them. We also talked about defense cooperation and projects we can work on together. The European Union’s SAFE instrument offers many opportunities for this, and I proposed to the Prime Minister joint production projects, including those related to enhancing security in the Black Sea
– Volodymyr Zelensky
According to the president, the Ukrainian and Bulgarian teams will work through all the details.
Thank you for the important signals regarding further support
– The President
Context of Cooperation and Prospects
The discussion emphasized energy stability and defense cooperation, using the European Union’s SAFE instrument for joint projects. It was also noted that the Ukrainian and Bulgarian teams intend to work out the details of future initiatives.
As is known, Bulgaria is considering steps to reduce dependence on Russian gas: by 2026 it plans to terminate contracts for the use and transit of Russian gas, and by 2028 – to completely exit the Russian gas market.
All these nuances indicate strengthening regional cooperation in energy and security and the aim to make the Black Sea region more stable through joint initiatives and projects.