The Agreement Between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Hellenic Republic on the Use of the Waters of the Mesta River (1996)

Abstract

The article deals with the conclusion of the Agreement between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Hellenic Republic on the use of the waters of the Mesta River (1996). Attention is paid to the parliamentary debates arising from President Zhelyu Zhelev’s veto of the Law on Ratification of the Agreement. An analysis is carried out of Greece’s policy on both the specific issue, which is also interrelated with the opening of new border checkpoints, and the role Bulgaria’s southern neighbour plays as a member of NATO and the EU. It has been noted that Greece saw the need to support the development of democratic mechanisms and institutions that would lay the foundations for Bulgaria’s future EU membership and real commitment.