Greek Embassy: Greece Has Done a Lot for Bulgaria

The Greek Embassy in Sofia has sent out a statement to media outlets to point to Greece's contribution to the Bulgarian economy.

It has reminded that Greece has helped open a total of 70 000 jobs in Bulgaria, with investment worth EUR 2.5 B in the past years.

Greece is also described as "the country which strongly backed the legitimate accession of Bulgaria into the European Union" and "the country with 2500 students in Bulgarian universities".

The statement also sets out concrete projects into which Bulgaria's southern neighbor has invested, namely "part of the state-of-the-art Trakia motorway" and the equipment for oncological hospitals in the towns of Kardzhali, Vratsa and Smolyan (for which it provided nearly EUR 2.033 M in funding).

It also mentions the embellishment of the capital Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city, two projects for which Greece granted USD 65 000 and USD 27 000, respectively.

Tuesday's statement comes against the backdrop of a move by the government in Sofia to support European funding for Greece. In mid-July Bulgaria's Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov said the cabinet would not hinder the allocation of a EUR 7 B bridge loan to Athens.

Combined with the words of PM Boyko Borisov who earlier had said Bulgaria should be ready to support a new bailout program for a "neighborly state", that was met with mixed feelings by part of Bulgarians and some analysts who wondered why a poorer state should help a wealthier one get back on its feet. Others argue it is time for Bulgaria to show solidarity.

The statement, however, makes no reference to official (or unofficial) Bulgarian comments or positions with regard to the situation in Greece.

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