site.btaBulgaria, Greece Sign Joint Intergovernmental Declaration on Use of Arda River Water

On behalf of the governments of the two countries, the Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria, Georg Georgiev, and of Greece, Giorgos Gerapetritis, signed a joint intergovernmental political declaration on the use of the waters of the Arda River, the press centre of the Foreign Ministry reported Wednesday.

In the declaration, the two countries stress the importance of water resources, including those of the Arda River, which provides drinking water, irrigation and green energy, as well as the need to protect these resources in view of the risks arising from climate change.

On July 9, 2024, the 60-year term of Bulgarian's obligation to supply Greece with regulated water from the river expired. According to the new declaration, which has a five-year horizon, the Bulgarian government will provide water from the Arda to Greece for agricultural irrigation until the modernization or construction of new equalizers in Northern Greece. A temporary commercial arrangement was in place until September 30, 2024, allowing water deliveries to continue while negotiations proceed. Bulgarian authorities have clarified that the supply is not free, as the arrangement includes compensation in energy. Talks centre on balancing Greece’s agricultural needs with Bulgaria’s interests in hydropower generation and local water resources, with both sides seeking a mutually beneficial outcome.

In turn, the Greek government declares that during these 5 years it will carry out the relevant upgrading and construction of the necessary water storage facilities, thus ensuring the irrigation needs of the Greek territory.

“With this declaration the two countries express their political will to deepen the strategic nature of their relations as EU member states and NATO allies and highlight the key importance of good neighbourly relations and the excellent level of their cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, including joint initiatives of importance for integration and connectivity both among themselves and in the wider European space,” the Foreign Ministry release says.