The opening of the "Rudozem - Xanthi" border crossing represents a direct investment in the regions on both sides of the Bulgarian-Greek border. This was stated by the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev at the beginning of today's meeting of the Council of Ministers. His comment was made on the occasion of yesterday's official opening of the road connection.
The outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov emphasized the importance of opening the border crossing for good neighborly relations, cross-border cooperation, the functioning of the Schengen area, and the economic development of the Bulgarian regions.
Minister Georgiev pointed out that with its official opening from the Greek side, a multi-year saga regarding the opening of the "Rudozem – Xanthi" road has ended. According to him, this is the result of about a year of intensive work, as well as consistent efforts in previous periods.
He noted that the active political dialogue and direct communications between Prime Minister Zhelyazkov and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as well as the joint work of the foreign ministries and other competent institutions from both countries, have made it possible for this transport link to be realized.
According to the Foreign Minister, the opening of the road is a concrete manifestation of the benefits of cross-border cooperation and has the potential to stimulate transport connectivity, infrastructure development, investments, tourism, and contacts between people. He emphasized that this is a significant acquisition for the residents of the Rhodope Mountains, as well as for the neighboring regions in Greece.
"This is a huge acquisition for the regions on both sides of the border and a project that has been talked about for more than two decades, and today it is already a fact," said Georgiev.
The Minister defined the opening of the border crossing as a great foreign policy, but also a domestic achievement and thanked the Greek partners for their constructive behavior. As an example, he also pointed to the cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece in finding solutions to ensure the free movement of people and goods when difficulties arise at the border.
According to Georg Georgiev, what has happened shows that with the presence of political trust and good neighborly relations between countries, complex issues of mutual interest can be resolved.