Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia Launch Visegrad-Inspired Craiova Group

Bulgarian, Romanian, and Serbian Heads of State launched the Craiova Group on Friday, committing to increased cooperation on energy and transportation projects with an eye towards integration on the model of the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia).

After the meeting on Wednesday in which Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania signed a framework agreement for the Vertical Gas Corridor, Romania’s Victor Ponta, Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic and Bulgaria’s Boiyo Borrissov spoke about new projects and ways to raise funds for the interconnectors. 

“Energy is actually the most important tool for development. Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania should accelerate energy projects, which allow us to be connected, have access to the European and global market and give the economy of the three countries secure energy at competitive prices,” Ponta commented on Friday.

The meeting was also an occasion for Bulgaria and Serbia to recall their strong suits and their clear intentions. Vucic managed to have further support from Sofia and Bucharest, while Borissov repeated that Bulgaria has high aspirations in the gas industry. 

“We continue to stand behind the idea of a gas hub near Varna,” Borissov said, underling the role of interconnectors to Greece, Romania, and Serbia.