Bulgaria is irrigating Greek land, even when there is no water to drink in Bulgaria
On July 9, 2024, the Agreement under which Bulgaria provided water to Greece as reparations due after World War II expired. Bulgaria had been obliged for a period of 60 years to supply Greece with water from the Arda River for the irrigation of Greek land. This amounted to 186 million cubic metres per year with an annual coverage of 85%. Bulgaria signed this reparation agreement in order to implement the decisions of the Paris Peace Treaty of February 10, 1947. As payment of these reparations to Greece, for a period of six decades every year between May to September, Bulgaria provided regulated water for the irrigation of Greek lands from the Ivaylovgrad reservoir. The maximum volume of the Ivaylovgrad reservoir is almost equal to the agreed volume of water – 188 million cubic metres. The keyword related to water supply is “regulated”. Bulgaria supplies water on the basis of hourly schedules as requested by the Greek side.
