Bulgaria supports Ukraine - Zelensky on results of Bulgarian PM Petkov's visit

KYIV. April 29 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Bulgaria will support steps to grant the EU candidate country status to Ukraine at the next meeting of the European Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"Partners recognize that Ukraine has already deserved the fast-track procedure for gaining EU membership," Zelensky said at a press briefing with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov in Kyiv on Wednesday.

Petkov, in turn, said that Sofia will be glad to help rebuild Ukraine.

"We have lots of cities with a large number of Bulgarian-speaking Ukrainians, and Bulgaria will be glad to play a constructive role in it," he said.

Bulgaria may help Ukraine using the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, "through which we may supply gas to Ukraine from LNG terminals in Greece and Turkey," Petkov said.

"It will cut the price for our countries and give them the opportunities for deliveries," he said.

Sofia will also facilitate Ukrainian electricity exports and will allow Ukraine to use the Varna Port as a logistics hub to handle its exports of flour and sunflower seed oil, he said.

Furthermore, Petkov and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal discussed support for Ukrainian refugees, Ukraine's European prospects and energy security.

"We highly appreciate Bulgaria's decision to send humanitarian aid worth 706,000 euros and also its decision to provide 181,000 euros in assistance to Ukrainian refugees," the Ukrainian government's press service quoted Shmyhal as saying after the meeting with Petkov.

After Ukraine's power grid is connected to ENTSO-E, or the European Network of Transmission System Operators, Ukraine will be able to export up to 2,000 megawatts of electricity to EU countries, including Bulgaria, Shmyhal said.