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Thank you very much, Mario.

Dear Vice President de Groot, Members of the European Parliament.

Dear partners, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, ministers,

Meetings that advance connectivity in Southeast Europe are always very important. But today is not a standard meeting.

Today we make an important step forward with the presentation of the strategic Action Plan on cross-border transport infrastructure.

A joint plan put together by the ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece.

We will also mark the launch of the Friends of Southeast Europe.

A very welcome initiative by our honorable friends in the European Parliament and strongly supported by the European coordinators for the Trans-European transport network.

Momentum, my dear friends, is clearly on our side.

A more connected, competitive, and resilient Southeast Europe. Is getting closer by the day. Both initiatives reflect a growing recognition.

That cross-border transport cooperation must move from aspiration to implementation.

Our region is our Union's eastern border, stretching from the very north to the very south,

having enormous strategic value for the European Union.

But we need better connections, connections that boost tourism.

Unlock investment, facilitate trade,

and empower the competitiveness and the resilience of Europe.

Of course, ladies and gentlemen, above all, we need connections that make a difference to people.

We owe it to our citizens to make day to day mobility better.

And easier Ladies and gentlemen In these uncertain times,

Strengthening resilience along the EU's eastern flank is, for us, a priority. For the European Union, Southeast Europe. Is a gateway to the region.

Our roads, our railways, our ports provide direct links to the rest of the continent.

The region is home to flagship EU funded projects from bridges over the Danube.

To road and rail connections through and around the Rhodope Mountains,

such as the Alexandroupoli-Swiningrad rail link, just to give one example.

And our vision and our ambition is now very, very clear.

A modern and safe, efficient route from Thessaloniki.

To Bucharest via Sofia and then onwards to Ukraine and Moldova to the east and to Central Europe to the west. This gateway. Functions and gives us a special responsibility.

But it also gives us a unique opportunity.

When transport links in this part of Europe function well,

the benefits extend far beyond national borders. Supply chains become more reliable. Businesses gain access to more markets. Our citizens save time.

And the European Union as a whole becomes stronger. And more cohesive.

So transport infrastructure is in this sense about much more than transport.

Our roads, our railways, our ports, and inland waterways are the backbone. Of our economies. They keep the single market moving.

And therefore hold the keys to growth and to competitiveness.

Modernising transport infrastructure also supports other elements of Europe's strategic agenda.

Economic security Resilient supply chains, sustainability and social inclusion.

More efficient rail freight, better multi-modal terminals, interoperability and stronger cross-border corridors can boost productivity while helping to reduce transport emissions,

but we need to be practical when translating ambition into action.

Identifying the projects with the highest cross-border impact must be the first step that we take together.

And we have done that In fact,

yesterday night I met with the 3 ministers to discuss exactly the projects that should have a priority.

We know that the cross-border, for example, rail upgrades between Thessaloniki,

Promahonas and Kulata must move forward quickly.

We have the target date of December 2030 for one stage and December 2034 for the other.

Including electrification, realignment, and a new cross-border railway bridge.

So working closely together allows us to align investment priorities and implementation schedules,

which is very important. But it does something else too. It allows us to build trust.

And we should never underestimate the importance of that.

Infrastructure takes years to prepare and construct, much longer than political cycles.

The long term vision and commitment demonstrated by everyone here today give us real reason for confidence and trust,

trust between the Commission. And the 3 member states. Now, looking ahead.

We also need to promote all modes of transport in a coherent way rail, road, inland waterways,

ports, airports, intermodal connections and of course we need an integrated system,

not isolated national segments.

Because we must always keep in mind, my dear friends.

That every step forward is one piece of a much bigger puzzle.

A puzzle whose benefits must ultimately reach all Europeans.

The Black Sea Aegean Sea corridor does exactly that.

Because it is more than a transport access.

It is a strategic link between Europe and the wider region.

Including the Middle East and the Gulf, and an important enabler of resilience,

preparedness, and credible deterrence on our southeastern flank.

And the strategic action plan and the joint project pipeline provide exactly the kind of structural approach that we need today. They create clarity on priorities.

They focus our attention on projects with genuine European added value, and they encourage cooperation between public authorities,

financial institutions and private stakeholders whose role is much needed here.

This is particularly important at a time when Europe must invest wisely.

Every euro we invest, ladies and gentlemen,

must contribute to long-term connectivity, competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The value of today's initiative lies not only in the projects it identifies.

But also in the cooperative method that it promotes dialogue. Shared ownership. And a common understanding of regional needs.

Over the past months, we have convened 10 biweekly coordination meetings with our experts. They have provided a regular form.

To exchange information, monitor progress, identify bottlenecks,

and discuss opportunities for cooperation and to promote the most important projects.

Now, as we enter the next phase,

our focus will be on further translating political commitment into concrete project delivery.

Making full use of the available European funding instruments that are available to us,

including the opportunities presented by the 2026EFree flows goal and of course the future MFF.

To this end, we have finalized our discussions on the projects for the reef flow coal in Thessaloniki.

This is actually the latest step in our work.

And it brings us to the heart of our meeting today. Which is the next step. State Secretary Cristiano. Director Ardern. Minister Pev, Minister Dimas.

I want to congratulate you on the work that you have done and the great collaboration that we had over the past months.

Since last December when our countries signed the memorandum of understanding here in Brussels.

Your strategic action plan sends a very strong political message.

The commitment shown by Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania.

Demonstrates that close cooperation can deliver very practical results.

By working together on common priorities, ladies and gentlemen, we can build the transport links that support mobility,

trade, security and prosperity at home and across the borders.

You ministers are also showing to the rest of Europe that when neighbors work together from the very beginning of a project or an initiative,

they improve the quality and strengthen their ability to attract support.

So today Also shows what we can achieve when we work together at the European level.

Because this is first and foremost a European priority.

This is why this year we have celebrated the Europe Day on 9th of May in Alexandropolis,

Greece, a city that is one of the most crucial links for this project.

It was there that we took a decisive step forward,

with EUR 270 million of European investment supporting the railway connection from northern Greece through Bulgaria and onwards towards Romania.

Ladies and gentlemen, The European Commission The investment bank.

Members of the European Parliament and the wider transport community.

Have come together to give Southeast Europe the place it deserves on Europe's transport map.

Together We have made clear something very important.

That a better connected, more competitive and more resilient Southeast Europe is not only in the interest of the region.

It is firmly in the strategic interest of the European Union. As a whole.

Now success will depend on maintaining this coalition and on moving fast.

Member States, European institutions, regional organizations, investors,

and infrastructure managers all have a role to play.

And I'm particularly proud of the strategic direction, technical expertise,

and framework for coordination that the European Commission has been able to offer.

At a European level, we are uniquely placed to take the wider view of this project, ensuring that our infrastructure is resilient to extreme weather,

ready for the next generation of digital technologies and capable of serving both civilian but also military purposes.

My dear friends,

today's launch of the Friends of South East Europe is both timely and meaningful as well. It creates a platform.

For continued cooperation, political support, and strategic focus.

It is an opportunity to turn shared plans into concrete projects and concrete projects into lasting benefits for Europeans.

Lasting visibility,

stronger advocacy and regular coordination can make today a real difference.

The Friends of Southeast Europe will help ensure that this momentum is indeed sustained.

That the region's priority remain firmly on the European agenda.

And that Southeast Europe continues to speak with one strong and constructive voice on connectivity.

But today is about more than endorsing just a vision.

It is about turning that vision into a shared European commitment and ultimately into railways,

roads, and connections that will bring our region closer.

And of course that will strengthen Europe as a whole.

We should be proud of how far we have come.

But the real measure of our ambition, ladies and gentlemen, will be what we do next.

And how we do it So let us have this room. With a clear determination. To keep working together.

To keep removing the obstacles that stand in our way and to keep turning political commitment into projects on the ground.

Because Southeast Europe does not need another promise on connectivity. It needs delivery. And Europe must deliver together.

In order for this region to stop being a peripheral region of Europe,

but rather The entrance of a new Europe. Thank you