04/06/2026
The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 is in full swing here in Bulgaria!
Our Embassy, as well as the German Embassy/Deutsche Botschaft Sofia, were supporters of the prestigious Burgas Connectivity Forum organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Bulgarien.
Founded in 2023, the Burgas Connectivity Forum quickly established itself as a high-level international platform that brings together representatives from politics, diplomacy, business, academia, and civil society.
The Forum was organized in partnership with the Municipality of Burgas and the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce/Германо-Българска индустриално-търговска камара (AHK Bulgarien), with the assistance of the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung and the Eastern Committee of the German Economy.
Our Embassy’s participation was within the framework of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union; bearing in mind that the Forum fosters dialogue and strategic cooperation in Southeast Europe, as well as energy cooperation in the region.
Ambassador Haralambos Kafkarides was one of the main speakers at the event stressing the following on energy connectivity:
• The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026 views connectivity as a key pillar of Europe’s strategic autonomy, helping diversify energy sources, routes and partnerships.
• The Eastern Mediterranean can contribute significantly to European energy security through natural gas, LNG infrastructure and major interconnection projects such as the Great Sea Interconnector.
• Regional initiatives like the Vertical Gas Corridor demonstrate how Southeast Europe is building a more integrated, diversified and resilient energy architecture.
• Connectivity is more than infrastructure—it is also diplomacy, cooperation and the creation of shared interests that strengthen stability across the Eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Black Sea region.
We would like to thank Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes and Zlatozara Stoilova, as well as Prof. Markos Troulis.