Turkish FM pushes energy ties and NATO coordination at Sofia summit
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan arrived in Sofia on Wednesday to lead Ankara’s delegation at the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit, where he underscored the strategic importance of energy and security ties with Bulgaria and called for deeper NATO-EU coordination ahead of the July 7-8 alliance summit in Ankara. Speaking on the sidelines of the gathering, Fidan told Bulgarian officials that expanding natural-gas transmission capacity from Türkiye to Bulgaria is “strategically vital” for Eastern Europe’s energy security, while also highlighting joint infrastructure projects, border security, and NATO cooperation .
Fidan’s two-day visit—his first to Sofia since taking office—focuses on energy, defence, EU relations, and regional stability. On Thursday he will meet Bulgarian counterparts to discuss revising the existing BOTAS gas-supply agreement and accelerating new electricity interconnectors, part of a broader push to integrate Balkan grids with European markets . The discussions come as Romania formally assumed the SEECP presidency in Sofia on Wednesday, with Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu pledging “more speed for goods, energy and people” across South-East Europe .
At the summit, Fidan also met Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis to reaffirm calls for calm in the Eastern Mediterranean, stressing that the region should be “an area of cooperation, not tension” . The diplomatic push follows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s warning that Türkiye is intensifying preparations for the NATO summit in Ankara, where he expects former US President Donald Trump’s attendance to bolster alliance cohesion .
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, addressing reporters in Brussels, echoed the call for faster defence production and innovation, telling ministers that higher spending alone is insufficient without combat-ready capabilities and scaled industrial output . His remarks set the stage for the Ankara gathering, where leaders are expected to approve new measures to strengthen deterrence across the Black Sea region, where Romania’s Defence Minister Radu Miruță said allies delivered a “clear message of solidarity” .
With the SEECP summit concluding on Thursday, the diplomatic momentum reflects broader efforts to stabilise South-East Europe through energy corridors, defence collaboration, and EU convergence—key themes that will dominate the NATO summit in less than a month.
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