Bulgaria, Greece agree for irrigation water to farmers of Evros

The Minister of Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakis thanks the Regional Governor Christodoulos Topsidis for his contribution! Despite the great special weight of this signature, for me personally it was an easy decision!... The good news of the month. Following negotiations by the leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Energy with Bulgaria, a provisional agreement was signed on Thursday for the continued supply of water from the Arda River to meet the irrigation needs of the northern Evros region this year.

In particular, the 60-year agreement with Bulgaria (as a war indemnity for our country) on the use of the Arda river waters for the irrigation of the northern part of Evros expired on 9 July. The new interim agreement ensures the uninterrupted continuation of the use of Arda water by Greek farmers until the end of the irrigation season on 30/9/2024. This interim agreement is necessary in order to give the necessary time to complete the negotiations of the final long-term agreement on the sharing of Arda water (95% of which is on Bulgarian territory), which were interrupted at the beginning of April due to the fall of the government in Bulgaria.

The agreement, which regulates the quantity and procedure for the transfer of water from the Bulgarian dams to the Greek side, was signed by the Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. Through the interim agreement, which commits the Bulgarian electricity company Natsionalna Elektricheska Kompania EAD (NEK) for the supply of 77.9 million euros to the Bulgarian electricity company. The commitment of the Bulgarian electricity company NEK to supply 77.9 million cubic metres of water to Greek farmers ensures that farmers in the northern Evros region will be fully supplied with the necessary quantities of water to meet their irrigation needs in a way that they will not be financially burdened.

This quantity is distributed over the irrigation season according to the needs of farmers in the region and is slightly higher than that provided for in the 60-year agreement that expired, despite the fact that the river's flow is at an unprecedented low level (less than half of its normal annual flow).

In any case, negotiations on this issue between the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Bulgarian side will continue, as the aim is to agree on all the details of a new, long-term agreement.

THEODOROS SKYLAKAKAKIS: THANKS TO THE REGIONAL GOVERNOR OF EMTH CHRISTODOULOS TOPSIDIS FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION

The extension of the agreement with Bulgaria on the management of the Arda River waters is an important development for northern Evros. We are receiving the required quantities of water for the irrigation of tens of thousands of hectares in the prefecture, which are even increased compared to those of the previously 60-year agreement. Our main objective is to prevent drought phenomena in the long-suffering Evros and to ensure that farmers in the region will not be financially burdened to meet their irrigation needs. At the same time, we are continuing negotiations with the Bulgarian side so that this transitional agreement can evolve into a long-term agreement, taking into account the impact of the oncoming climate crisis in the region. I would like to thank the Regional Governor, Christodoulos Topsidis, for his significant contribution to the signing of this agreement and the Secretary General for Natural Environment and Water, Petros Varelidis, for his tireless efforts for its signature. This agreement was formulated with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was made possible thanks to the personal, decisive intervention of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis". The Regional Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Mr: "The primary sector and its development are a top priority for our Administration. Supporting, in practice, our commitment, I signed the Interim Agreement for the coverage of farmers' irrigation needs with the Bulgarian side, ensuring the irrigation of the cultivated areas of Evros until its expiration (on 30/9/2024). Despite the great special weight of this signature, for me personally it was an easy decision, as I serve an Administration, which is people-oriented and we prove this every day in practice.

I hope that the Agreement will pay off and that the farmers will be able to use the water rationally, so that their crops will perform as expected and that we will have multiplier benefits both for themselves and for the local economy."

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