Turkey’s Energy Ambitions in the Balkans Grow with Key Deals with Bulgaria and Romania
Turkey is advancing its energy strategy in the Balkans with new agreements aimed at deepening its influence in the region
The Bulgarian Cabinet has expectedly given up on its idea to construct a border fence with Turkey, a move that intended to curb the potential infiltration of animals infected with foot-and-mouth disease.
As it was made clear on Tuesday, the cash-strapped Balkan country cannot afford the construction of the 181-km border fence.
The total cost of the project was estimated at a total of BGN 28 M (almost EUR 14 M), and the Bulgarian government has nowhere to come up with the money.
This sum is four times the sum originally approved and there will be a need for additional funding in order to compensate land owners, and to maintain and control the new facility, the Bulgarian government explained on Tuesday.
Furthermore, the fence would have crossed nine protected areas, which would require additional environmental reports.
The construction of a border fence with Turkey was proposed after an outbreak of FMD in Southeastern Bulgaria in the beginning of 2011 was blamed on the infiltration of infected wild animals coming from Turkey.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev held a phone conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on April 29
Bulgaria’s Ambassador to the United States, Georgi Panayotov, has formally submitted a request to terminate his mandate ahead of schedule and is expected to return to Bulgaria by the end of the month
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Bulgaria’s Ministry of the Interior on April 22, 2025
The South African Embassy in Sofia has officially discontinued its consular services as of March 17, 2025
The Fourth Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2025) will be held under the auspices of H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Bulgaria’s first F-16 landed on Tuesday afternoon at the Third Fighter Air Base at Graf Ignatievo
Google Street View Cars Return to Bulgaria for Major Mapping Update
Housing Prices Soar in Bulgaria’s Major Cities as Demand and Supply Strain Increase