Brândușa Predescu: The war in Ukraine has brought us even closer together

Iuliana Kornazheva, Vladimir Mitev, Bulgarian National Radio, July 16, 2026

Summary of the interview with H.E. Brândușa Predescu

This interview with Romania’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Brândușa Predescu, takes stock of her tenure, focusing on Romanian-Bulgarian relations, security in the Black Sea region, and infrastructure projects in Southeast Europe.

Key points:

• Bilateral relations and security: The war in Ukraine has prompted Bulgaria and Romania to cooperate even more closely on security matters and in the Black Sea region. A key milestone was the signing of the Strategic Partnership Declaration (2023), which the ambassador describes as an extremely dynamic framework. The two countries have also successfully initiated the creation of a maritime security hub in the Black Sea, as part of an EU strategic document.
• Energy and Transportation Connectivity:
  • The vertical gas corridor is already a reality and ensures energy independence from Russia by increasing network capacity and building interconnections.
  • Danube Bridge 3 (Ruse-Giurgiu): In June, a contractor was selected to conduct the preliminary design study. The bridge will improve military mobility and trade within the EU.
  • Repairs to the existing bridge over the Danube near Ruse have been successfully completed.
• Funding and Cohesion Policy: Regarding budgetary challenges, the two countries share an identical position–they rely exclusively on EU cohesion funds from the next financial framework to achieve economic balance (convergence) and competitiveness.
• Regional defense and NATO: Romania and Bulgaria are actively involved in coordinating NATO’s eastern flank through formats such as the “Bucharest Nine” (B9). Discussions are also underway regarding cooperation in the defense industry, including early warning systems and drone defense, as well as support for Ukraine through the new Bank for Support and Resilience, for which Bucharest will serve as one of the European headquarters.

Interview

Iuliana Kornazheva:

I am absolutely delighted to be able to say “good afternoon” to Her Excellency, the Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Ms. Brândușa Ioana Predescu, as well as to those already in the studio

– Vanina Bojikova, who will assist us with translation, as well as our colleague from the Romanian editorial team at “Radio Bulgaria,” Vladimir Mitev, with whom we will discuss both the economic and political relations between the two countries, as well as the outcomes of the NATO summit. Good afternoon, everyone!

A Review of Ambassador Predescu’s Term

Vladimir Mitev:

Hello from me as well. Ambassador Predescu’s term is gradually coming to an end, and it has been a term marked by quite interesting and significant events in Bulgarian-Romanian relations. First and foremost, we can mention the thaw in these relations at the political level beginning in 2022, the signing of the strategic partnership declaration in 2023, and in 2025, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania signed a memorandum of understanding on the development of infrastructure corridors between them. Ms. Predescu has participated in many other events and activities, and I think it would be interesting to begin with her perspective on this term, which is gradually drawing to a close. Which aspects of this term–and, more broadly, of Bulgarian-Romanian relations–do you consider the greatest success of your tenure, and in what areas would you like to see further progress, given that your successor will continue this work?

H.E. Brândușa Predescu:

Greetings to you and your listeners! I am very pleased to be here again at the BNR studio, specifically on this program with a name that is very fitting for this discussion–namely, the program “Orizont.” Indeed, bilateral relations between our countries have developed extremely strongly in recent years. Perhaps I’ll take issue with the word you used–“thaw”–since these relations were never frozen in the first place. We are neighbors–as we Romanians like to say, the best of neighbors–but you Bulgarians also like to say the same thing. There are numerous factors that support this perception, which is extremely important–not only at the institutional and state levels, but also among Romanian and Bulgarian citizens.

In recent years, the truly aggressive war against our neighbor, Ukraine–a war that, in practice, has profoundly altered and massively impacted our countries and the entire region, with extremely serious consequences, as well as the established regional stability that previously existed–this war has pushed us even closer together, both figuratively and literally. First and foremost, the two countries have established and continue to maintain close cooperation regarding the guarantee and assurance of the security of our countries, our territories, and the Black Sea region. This aspect has shaped and continues to shape–though not exclusively–bilateral relations between Romania and Bulgaria.

Ensuring security encompasses countless elements that go beyond the strictly military sphere. It also generates economic effects related to connectivity–and I use this word because this war has pushed us to turn our attention even more toward one another and to collaborate more closely. This is something we were already doing before, though perhaps not on the same scale as today. In this context–and, of course, as a natural evolution of what bilateral relations mean in practice–the heads of state of our two countries signed a strategic document in March, three years ago, that defines the framework of our relations and elevates them to the level of a strategic partnership. As an ambassador, I can say that this is an extremely important achievement for the diplomatic services of both countries, as it is not just another document. Because, yes, your listeners might think, “Another document has been signed,” but in relations between states there must always be a framework within which the two parties agree to cooperate in certain areas.

You asked me a much broader question. I wanted to emphasize this point first and foremost. Not only do we have this framework of strategic partnership, but among the many strategic partnerships that Romania has with other European and non-European countries (I’m referring to the already traditional and strategic partnership with the U.S.), the partnership with our neighbor, Bulgaria, is, first and foremost, extremely dynamic. We’re not talking about something where there’s just a single document and, from there on, nothing else happens. Even though at times–and you, as journalists, follow what is happening in the two countries–it may seem as though we are lagging behind politically in terms of the political reality in both countries, I want to tell you that there are so many areas and spheres in which Romanians and Bulgarians are working and collaborating. Not just between the two capitals, but–and this is very important–within the European Union in Brussels (EU) and in Brussels (NATO). There are initiatives that are extremely beneficial for the entire Euro-Atlantic area and that stem precisely from Bulgarian-Romanian cooperation.

And since we are talking about an area that concerns not only security but also energy and economic security–the truth is that, at the initiative of Romania and Bulgaria, we have together succeeded in convincing EU member states, in close collaboration with the European Commission, to adopt for the first time an EU strategic document on the Black Sea region under current conditions. These, of course, open up both new prospects and numerous opportunities. This document therefore represents a strategic approach, within which the main (but not the only) project is the creation of a maritime security center in the Black Sea, which will, of course, be jointly hosted by Romania and Bulgaria. This initiative is already a reality. Just recently, discussions took place regarding the project’s status during the last meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. I want to tell you that, at times–perhaps in the eyes of our citizens–we are too modest and do not boast about the things we truly manage to achieve together. Here is a concrete example that is relevant even beyond the borders of Romania and Bulgaria: together, we are contributing to the security of the entire European Union.

Energy and Infrastructure Projects in Southeast Europe

Iuliana Kornazheva:

One such project–if I may interject, Vlado, my apologies–is the Vertical Gas Corridor project. Infrastructure projects between the two countries are also extremely important. Sometimes there are countries that voice criticism, but you will be the ones to determine which ones fall into which category. But I’ll leave that up to you to decide, and the comment can be more detailed.

H.E. Brândușa Predescu:

I want to tell you that nowhere in Europe are major infrastructure projects–which have a regional scope and involve implementation across the territories of several countries–completed in a single day. Having said that, I wish to emphasize that, for us in this region, this is a process in which we are learning how to move forward more quickly in implementing the things we have decided together. We are working on the projects you mentioned. The vertical gas corridor is, in itself, a reality. It already has a name, but as for the pipelines on the territory of Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria, it is important to know that this, too, is a reality–one that your listeners will hear about. Increasing the capacity of transmission networks, building interconnectors–which already exist but whose capacity needs to be expanded–are things that take more time. But they are happening. We’re talking about a reality that is moving forward. We’re not talking about something created from scratch. More specifically, regarding the Vertical Gas Corridor–it is already ensuring our energy independence from the former region on which we were overly dependent.

Of course, there is the Russian Federation, and of course, the sanctions package that Romania unconditionally supports. Transport connectivity between our countries is also important. I know that the media is following very closely–and I mean in both countries–how these projects are progressing. I can tell you that there are delays, which are due in part to objective reasons, but there is also good news. The fact that just recently, in June, we managed to select the contractor for the preliminary study for the long-awaited third bridge over the Danube–this is something we all need to be aware of and welcome. You know, a bridge isn’t built in three months, unless someone comes along with a magic wand.

On the other hand, we must also recognize the things that are already working. All Romanians are delighted that, after two years, the repairs to the Friendship Bridge have finally been completed. And, in fact, the day before July 1, I personally crossed the bridge just as traffic was allowed to flow in both directions again, and I can tell you that I was absolutely delighted. No, we–Romanians and Bulgarians alike–must also see the beauty of this bridge, which, although it is indeed inadequate, has history, beauty, and a charm all its own. Personally, I am very optimistic that Romanians and Bulgarians–as well as Europeans and everyone else who will travel through our countries–will, in a few years, cross a new bridge at Ruse-Giurgiu. This will enhance the two countries’ contribution to security corridors, military mobility, and trade–not only within our own territories but also across the entire European Union.

The Economic Crisis in Romania and Its Impact on Joint Projects

Iuliana Kornazheva:

What we do see as a problem at this moment, however, is the financial situation–both in Romania’s public finances and in Bulgaria’s. Could all of this delay, to some extent, all the projects we’re discussing?

Brândușa Predescu:

I cannot speak on behalf of Bulgaria, but, in principle, budgetary funds for such large-scale projects are allocated well in advance and are planned. On the other hand, we rely heavily on cohesion funds, which we are set to negotiate for the EU’s future multiannual financial framework. That is, the European budget, for which negotiations are now beginning. The two countries hold absolutely identical positions regarding the need to maintain the structure of the cohesion funds, which represent for our countries (and not only for them, but also for the vast majority of member states) a means of achieving convergence with the average level of development of European countries. We talk about competitiveness as the engine of EU development, but how can we achieve competitiveness if we do not have economically balanced development across the entire EU?

Romania’s Involvement in the Evolution of the NATO Concept and in European Policies on the Development of the Defense Industry

Vladimir Mitev:

Yesterday, the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit took place in Kyiv, attended by the president, and last week, the NATO summit was held in Ankara, during which some announced the so-called “NATO 3.0,” through which European countries are beginning to play a more significant role in the Alliance’s policies, funding, and activities. How is Romania involved in these changes–specifically with regard to defense and security–given that it has access to significant funds (such as the SAFE fund and others, totaling over 16 billion euros), is already collaborating with “Rheinmetall,” there is talk of cooperation in the field of drone defense systems, and in recent days there has been extensive coverage in the Romanian press regarding collaboration with Turkish companies in the defense sector?

Iuliana Kornazheva:

I would just like to add, Vlado, that early warning in the event of drone incidents was also among the topics discussed by the presidents of Romania and Ukraine.

H.E. Brândușa Predescu:

In fact, Romania is part of virtually all the cooperation frameworks and formats that have been initiated within NATO or the EU in the context of the war of aggression waged against Ukraine. Romania’s position regarding what is happening at our borders has been, from the very beginning, firm, clear, and has included comprehensive support for Ukraine–financial, military, and humanitarian. What we have signed goes beyond a mere expansion of bilateral relations with our neighbor; it also represents an expansion of cooperation and collaboration with our European partners and with NATO. From the very beginning, Romania has been part of the “Coalition of the Willing” initiative, under the auspices of the United Kingdom and France, as well as many other formats that you have already mentioned.

Furthermore, Romania continues to participate in and coordinate, together with Poland, a format that is extremely useful (both now and in the future) for coordinating the countries on the eastern flank ahead of NATO summits. I am referring to the B-9 format (the Bucharest Nine), which took place in Bucharest, with Romania as the host, one month ago. The format and its membership were expanded at the request of the Scandinavian countries, as Romania–as well as Bulgaria, which stands alongside us in most of these formats–has advocated for this and continues to do so with our partners. Our partners in Eastern Europe, as well as our American partners, must realize that the eastern flank–stretching from north through east to south–has both breadth and continuity, and is currently exposed to the risk of war.

In other words, for us, for Romania, the NATO summit in Ankara was a success, just as it was for all our allies. The overall assessment was positive, as it confirmed the interest and attention given to the eastern flank–namely, security in the Black Sea region and support for Ukraine–which was reaffirmed not only on paper, in terms of funding, but also through other initiatives. Romania is among the founders of a new bank, which was also discussed here–the Bank for Support and Resilience, a Canadian initiative. One of its European offices will be in Bucharest. In other words, we are fully committed–not only to these programs, from which we all benefit in modernizing our armed forces and strengthening our defense, but also to building future-oriented relations with our Ukrainian neighbor.

Iuliana Kornazheva:

Thank you very much for this discussion. Thank you to Her Excellency, the Romanian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Ms. Brândușa Ioana Predescu. Vanina Bojikova assisted with the translation. Our colleague from the Romanian newsroom, Vladimir Mitev, was present in the studio.

Photo: Brândușa Predescu (source: YouTube)

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