Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zeliazkov said on Thursday that his government is pursuing a temporary agreement with Greece to end the impasse on a water -ended deal, which has caused protests by Greek farmersaccording to the Reuters agency.

Since 1964, under a compensation agreement for World War II between the two neighbors, the water from the mountains of Bulgaria flows freely along the Arda River in 50,000 acres of the Evros plain in northern Greecenotes Reuters.

The agreement ended last July, causing concern to Greek farmers who depend on it to keep their crops alive. In recent weeks they have been blocked by tractors near the Kastanias area, requiring an immediate, long -term agreement.

As Reuters notes, Greece and the Bulgarian National Electricity Society of Bulgaria have signed a temporary agreement to secure the supply from mid -July to September 2024.

In an intense parliamentary debate in Sofia on Thursday, amid opposition claims that Bulgaria gives its water for free, Zeliazkov said his government is seeking a temporary deal for this summer.

“We will look for a temporary solution within a few months this year to have the opportunity to negotiate a comprehensive agreement.”he said, refusing to clarify what such an agreement would include.

Deputy Energy Minister Georgi Samadov defended last summer’s agreement, saying that the water flowing to Greece through the Bulgarian hydroelectric barrier of Ivaylovgrad produces 30,000 electricity megawatts for its own needs.

In the context of the compensation agreement, Bulgaria released 186 million cubic meters of water per year from hydroelectric dams in Evros, an area largely dependent on agriculture, according to the agency.

The water was provided every irrigation period from May to September. Greece does not have functional tanks in the area for water storage.

Climate change

This agreement highlights how precarious the aquatic resources have become in the Mediterranean due to climate change. Greece recorded the warmest summer of last year and, as well as elsewhere in southern Europe, experienced months with a few rainfall and drought.

In view of the negotiations, the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture said that the country was first evaluating its own water needs.

Officials from the Greek Ministry of Energy and the Environment, which is involved in talks, were not readily available to comment on Zeliazkov’s statements by Reuters, adding that they have accused the lack of progress in debate political volatility in Bulgaria.

It is noted that Zeliazkov’s center -right Gerb won early elections in October, seventh in the Balkan country in four years. His government was approved in January after months of coalition negotiations.