site.btaPM Rosen Zhelyazkov Comments on Paid Supply of Water to Greek Farmers 

The Bulgarian understanding is that in any negotiations with Greece, the paid supply of water to Greek farmers should remain, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said at Parliament's Question Time. He was answering a question about the government's policy on providing additional quantities of water for irrigation to neighbouring countries Greece and Turkiye.

"The Bulgarian understanding is that in any new negotiations for concluding an agreement, which the Greek side insists on, for the supply of regulated water from the Arda River until Greece builds a daily equalizer with the capacity to retain at least one week's flow of the river, the paid supply of water to Greek farmers should remain," Zhelyazkov said.

He explained that by his order of February 12, an interdepartmental working group was established, which should propose a solution to the issue of water supply from the Arda River to Greece, with the aim of developing a position that reflects Bulgaria's interests to the greatest extent and takes into account the importance of this issue for Greece.

Regarding Turkiye, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov stated that no negotiations have been held on the topic of the opportunities for providing additional water quantities from the Maritsa and Tundzha rivers, and there are  no current agreements for the release of water quantities from the dams on Bulgarian territory.

On February 13, Water Minister Manol Genov dismissed speculation that water was supplied to Greece for free. He spoke at a hearing in Parliament on the Arda River water supply to Greece.