The national interest is protected. There is no dominant or subordinate position in inter-neighborly relations. This is how Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov responded to a parliamentary question from Vazrazhdane party about the agreement between Bulgaria and Greece on the waters of the Arda River.

The signed 5-year agreement regulates annual compensation for Bulgaria. According to the declaration signed by the foreign ministers of the countries on May 2, Bulgaria will provide water from the Arda River for the irrigation of 20,000 hectares in Northern Greece. The quantities will be decided on an annual basis after assessing Bulgarian needs.

"The natural flow of a river cannot be stopped at the border between two countries. This is a matter of nature and gravity," the Prime Minister replied when asked whether the country was losing a valuable resource.