The foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Greece Georg Georgiev and Giorgos Gerapetritis signed a joint declaration on the use of the waters of the river Arda on 2 May, the BNR reports citing an announcement published by the Greek Foreign Ministry.

• Bulgaria offers Greece a 5-year agreement on the waters of the Arda River

“By virtue of the Joint Declaration, the provision by Bulgaria of a sufficient quantity of water for a period of five years is ensured, thereby securing the smooth and uninterrupted operation of the irrigation system and agricultural production in the border region of Evros, following the expiration of the relevant sixty-year bilateral agreement between Greece and Bulgaria,” the announcement reads. The Greek announcement specifies that the declaration was signed “in coordination with the relevant Ministries of Environment and Energy and Rural Development and Food”.

Bulgaria’s Ministry of foreign Affairs has not published any information about the document signed.