Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will visit Bulgaria on Monday for talks expected to focus on energy and transport, Greek newspaper Kathimerini has reported.

In addition to cooperation in the energy sector Tsipras and his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov are expected to discuss the creation of a rail link between the Greek Aegean port of Alexandroupoli and the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Varna.

Bulgaria and Greece have already agreed to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal near Alexandroupoli.

A link between the gas transmission systems of Bulgaria and Greece is expected to enter into commercial operation in the middle of 2018. Bulgaria and Greece signed the final investment decision for the gas interconnection project last year.

Tsipras, who will be accompanied by several ministers on his visit to Sofia, “is also interested in the progress of Greek companies that have relocated to Bulgaria over the past few years due to the crisis in Greece”, ekathimerini.com.

With new tax hikes having taken effect in Greece last month, the number of Greek companies relocating to Bulgaria has increased by an estimated 20-30 percent, news website greekreporter.com reported earlier this week.